The husband of murdered special constable Nisha Patel-Nasri denied having sex with his mistress at a hotel a month after the killing, a court heard yesterday.

Fadi Nasri arranged to meet his prostitute girlfriend at the hotel in Bracknell, Berkshire, on June 21, 2006, the prosecution said.

His 29-year-old wife had bled to death after being stabbed with a knife from her own kitchen at their home in Wembley, north London, on May 11.

But Mr Nasri, a 34-year-old limousine boss, told the jury at the Old Bailey in London: "I was in a bad way and sex was the last thing on my mind."

Prosecuting, Michael Worsley asked: "Why book in at a hotel unless the object is to have sex with her?"

Mr Nasri replied: "We didn't that time or the time after."

He is accused of organising his wife's murder partly because of the affair and partly to pay off spiralling debts with her £350,000 life insurance policy.

The court was told Mr Nasri had been "spending money like water" on his mistress, Laura Mockiene, 25, before his wife was killed.

Mr Nasri admitted they had had one holiday, but denied he had spent a lot of money on her.

"No, we had one holiday and the hotels," he said. "I never bought any presents for Laura in any way."

Fadi Nasri was photographed being kissed by his lover on a romantic break just weeks after Ms Patel-Nasri was killed, the court heard.

The jury was shown holiday pictures of Mr Nasri kissing his mistress.

He said he had not told police about the affair when he was arrested because he was "embarrassed".

They had been lovers for three months before his wife's death. Before that, Mr Nasri had paid the Lithuanian for sex.

He denied he and his wife had financial difficulties, despite her sending texts to a friend suggesting they did, the court heard. He also denied his wife was "sick of being stuck at home alone every night".

"[She] never ever complained about that, never ever complained about a divorce," he said.

Mr Nasri of Alderman Court, Barnet, north London, denies murder. "No murder at all, whatsoever. No plan," he said.

Rodger Leslie, 38, of Chesterfield Flats, Bells Hill, Barnet, Tony Emmanuel, 42, of Clements Road, east London; and Jason Jones, 36, of Hathaway Crescent, Manor Park, east London, also deny murder.

The trial continues.