Court hears ex-wife blamed Huhne’s gay past

THE FORMER wife of disgraced former energy secretary Chris Huhne blamed his decision to leave her for a bisexual lover on his previous gay relationships with men, a jury has heard.

Barrister and part-time judge Constance Briscoe, pictured, told Southwark Crown Court that Vicky Pryce wanted to reveal to the press, after her husband left her for Carina Trimingham, that he infected her with a sexually transmitted disease.

Briscoe, 56, is on trial accused of lying to police about how she helped Ms Pryce reveal that she took speeding points for Mr Huhne.

Answering questions in court, Briscoe said: “She wanted to discuss the fact that Chris had relations with men before they got married, and also wanted to discuss how he had infected her with an STD when he was a European MP.”

Briscoe said Ms Pryce told her about Mr Huhne’s speeding points at the time of the incident in 2003.

But after the couple split up, Briscoe said she believed it was in the public interest for the speeding points incident to be reported as Mr Huhne had expressed ambitions to become deputy prime minister.

Briscoe denies three counts of intending to pervert the course of public justice. She is alleged to have provided police with two inaccurate statements about her role as an intermediary between Ms Pryce and reporters.