Laws' turbulent love life

Michael Laws. Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

Michael Laws' fractious relationship with former prostitute Jackie Sperling is borne out in electronic conversations between them.

A Facebook exchange between Sperling and the Wanganui Mayor a few days before news of their relationship emerged last week confirmed the reasons she dumped the radio presenter.

Sperling accused him of sleeping with his former partner Leonie Brookhammer and others.

"I do not think you are a bad person. I just think that you can't control the thing between your legs."

He replied: "Fair enough. Life is for consenting adults."

Laws later said: "I am NOT sleeping with Leo - and Leo would be the most offended by that suggestion."

And he finished the conversation emphatically: "You are obviously a very fragile person & I have obviously misjudged you. Bye."

In a conversation to a third party, Sperling, a former P addict, claimed that Laws liked to talk "all the way" through intercourse.

Sperling last weekend retracted the claims of affairs and said she believed Laws.

Meanwhile, a mystery brunette caused a stir when appearing to perform an intimate act on Laws at the table in a posh Auckland restaurant while he dined with several media stars.

Onlookers were shocked at their actions at Toto restaurant in central Auckland last year.

The encounter took place in May last year at a dinner attended by Marcus Lush, Martin Devlin, Willie Jackson, John Tamihere, Maggie Barry, Karyn Hay and then-Mediaworks boss Brent Impey.

The high-profile group arrived to find the woman already seated upstairs at Toto, a favourite haunt of TVNZ staff.

A source said Laws met the woman, who claimed she was a travel agent, for the first time that night.

The father of five had broken up with his long-term partner Leonie Brookhammer a month earlier.

Those seated at the same table as Laws were said to be aware the act was taking place but ignored it as they didn't want to make a scene.

"There was enough interesting people around the table at the time that everyone chose to ignore it," one said. "We just left them to it and the rest of us had a good time."

Laws' date was described as "mutton dressed as lamb".

"She wore a very, very low-cut top," said the source.

Toto's head waiter Frank Chan said: "I remember the group coming in, but I don't recall any of that going on."

The Herald on Sunday contacted several people in attendance.

Devlin said: "You would have to ask [RadioLive boss] Mitch [Harris] about that."

Jackson said: "I wasn't sitting at his table."

Laws' former partner Brookhammer said: "What Michael does is no business of mine, I'm not interested in talking about him."

On Friday night Laws said what he did in his private life was his business. He threatened legal action against the Herald on Sunday.