THE wife of a police officer could not understand why he denied knowing a relative who acted as an “independent expert” for them at a court hearing.

Ann Joughin accepted her husband, Mark, previously met Craig Ginn, her brother-in-law, who submitted a report for them as an expert witness in a civil hearing over an unpaid charge to a builder.

Mrs Joughin, 43, was giving evidence at a trial at Durham Crown Court, over allegedly misleading and false information submitted to a small claims hearing at the nearby county court, in March 2012.

Both she and her 48-year-old husband, a serving officer with Northumbria Police, deny two charges each of doing an act tending, or intending to pervert the course of justice.

The prosecution claims the couple, of Satley, County Durham, put forward Mr Ginn, as an “independent expert”, despite the fact he was her older sister, Lynn’s partner at the time, and went on to marry her later that year.

Cross-examined by prosecution counsel Ros Scott Bell, Mrs Joughin said she did not know why her husband told the county court judge he didn’t know Mr Ginn, but she added that she did not think it was “relevant”.

Asked why they cast him as an “independent” expert, when he was clearly known to them through family connections, Mrs Joughin said: “I classed him as ‘independent’. He’s a professional expert.”

Miss Scott Bell asked her what the word “independent” meant.

“He was a professional. Everything in his report was proven to be right,” said Mrs Joughin.

The court heard the couple lost the small claims hearing and had to pay the £3,088 builder's bill.

Mr Joughin’s counsel, Christopher Knox, told today's crown court hearing that his client had chosen not to give evidence.

The jury is expected to retire to consider its verdicts tomorrow (Thursday, October 23).