Colin Craig admitted looking down press secretary's top

In a letter to his then-press secretary, Colin Craig admitted looking down her top.

The letter's been read out during a defamation case taken by the former Conservative Party leader against blogger Cameron Slater.

Craig began writing the letter in bed on November 2, 2011.

He wrote "my eyes went where they should not have gone" and he asked for her forgiveness. 

Under cross examination by lawyer Brian Henry, Craig conceded looking down Rachel MacGregor's top was sexual in nature.

Mr Henry asked Craig whether he believed any woman would find it appropriate to be told in a letter from their boss that he'd looked down her top. 

Craig replied: "Probably not".

But he said conversations with Ms MacGregor after she got the letter simply didn't suggest she was offended.

In the letter, Craig described Ms MacGregor as an "amazing woman" and said she had been a huge blessing.

After discussing their Christian faith and work matters, Craig wrote that he had been asked a series of questions including whether he was having an affair and if he had kissed Ms MacGregor. 

He wrote that his answer to the first question was no, unless he had missed something.

As to whether he had kissed her, Craig wrote the answer was no, "not that I wouldn't want to a lot, but that is a boundary".

Craig penned the letter over two nights and in it said the correspondence was "private and confidential". 

Mr Henry asked Craig why he thought it was appropriate to write to his press secretary about "pub talk".

Craig explained he hadn't just written as a boss, but also as a friend and he knew "she would enjoy the letter".

Newshub.