Court spat: the prostitute and the medic

The medical professional has hired esteemed medical lawyer Harry Waalkens (pictured). Photo / Richard Robinson

A prostitute and a medical professional are embroiled in a court spat which includes him being invoiced for $22,000 worth of sex.

The prostitute says her dreams of becoming her lover's Pretty Woman were dashed after discovering he had a family.

But the medical professional says he never slept with the woman - and says she is a stalker who poses "serious threat issues" to his family.

A court battle looms at the Auckland District Court after the man hired esteemed medical lawyer Harry Waalkens, QC.

It follows attempts by the prostitute to seek a court order enforcing her bill for sex.

She had filed papers with the Disputes Tribunal seeking a maximum award to cover her claimed losses.

Waalkens sought and won identity suppression for his client. He also filed claims the prostitute was harassing his client and sought a restraining order.

The woman told the Herald on Sunday she had seen the medical professional for years. "It started out that he sought my services and saw me and paid me for two years."

But she said the relationship turned romantic and she stopped charging for sex.

"If I had known he had a woman in his life it would never have happened," she said. "I've not been paid for services before. I was losing income in the time I was spending with him."

The woman said the medical professional had told her a different story about his identity than what she later discovered. "I found out who he was and where he lived."

Then, confronting him about the lost income, she said he gave her $500 worth of lingerie vouchers.

"He picked the wrong person to do this to. I rang him and said 'when are you going to talk to me'?"

She said his response was to start calling for help, shouting: "It's a stalker."

She said she became determined to recover lost earnings.

The woman filed the claim with the Disputes Tribunal from where it was transferred to the district court.

She said: "I could have been nasty ... I could have rung his partner on the first day. I could have cost him his profession and his relationship.

"I refrained filing the claim until after Christmas Day so it wouldn't cloud his Christmas."

The woman said she had proof of the relationship in diary entries and text messages.

The medical professional said any claims he had sex with the woman were "crazy". "There are some serious risk issues in terms of my safety. I need to be careful about that. I'm trying to protect my family and myself from this person."

Waalkens said his client denied all allegations made by "this mad woman".

"These proceedings she has embarked on is part of - but not all of - a very serious harassment process she has embarked on."

Waalkens said harassment proceedings were active before the court. The next court date was in late April.