Hooker tells of sales sprees

David Shamoon was cleared of the sole charge against him, that of bribing a public official, in December 1996 when the trial judge ordered his aquittal.

The jury in the Old Bailey trial of an Inland Revenue inspector accused of bribery was told yesterday how he used the same shop to buy clothes for both his wife and his mistress.

Michelle Corrigan, a prostitute who had an affair with Michael Allcock, the tax inspector, told the court of her visits to an exclusive West End fashion store.

The shop, Joseph in Knightsbridge, central London, was a favourite of Mr Allcock's wife and he was anxious not to be recognised by staff while shopping with his girlfriend.

"We went there about half a dozen times. Michael used to shop for Sally [Mrs Allcock] at Joseph so I used to wait outside while he paid," said Miss Corrigan in reply to questions from John Black, for the prosecution.

Miss Corrigan, 30, a drinks vending machine manager from Portsmouth, was giving evidence for the second day in the trial, which is expected to last until Christmas. She told the court how she would go into the shop to pick out the designer clothes she wanted and leave Mr Allcock to pay either by cash or credit card.

Mr Allcock, 47, of Colchester, Essex, denies 13 corruption charges. Two businessman he was allegedly investigating are also in the dock. Hisham Alwan, 56, an oil consultant of Knightsbridge, and David Shamoon, a property developer of West London, deny four charges of attempting to bribe Inland Revenue officials.

Miss Corrigan, who was dressed in a smart black trouser suit, also said that her former lover would bring her back gifts from holidays he took with his family.

She said that she received her last gift from Mr Allcock about a month before the affair ended in the wake of an Inland Revenue investigation that started in September 1992.

Mr Justice Peter Beaumont, the judge, later censured the Evening Standard of London and the Daily Mail for what he described as inaccurate reporting.

The trial continues.