FARMINGTON — A former Eastport police officer admitted in court Monday that both on and off duty he violated a protection from harassment order obtained against him by a former girlfriend.

Robert Gregory, 54, told Judge James MacMichael in Farmington District Court, however, that he believed he was working in cooperation with the state Attorney General’s Office. He said he was gathering information to prove that ex-girlfriend Paulette Garrido had lied to obtain the harassment order and had ruined his career. After 20 years in law enforcement, Gregory now lives in Canaan and works as a truck driver.

Gregory was testifying in his contempt of court trial which was continued from Dec. 4 in Calais.

In earlier testimony in Calais, Garrido said Gregory violated the protection order when he put a dozen notes in the window of a camper in his yard, left flowers and tapes at her home and talked to her on the street. He was arrested by Maine State Police in September and charged with contempt.

Gregory testified Monday, however, that Garrido was the first to contact him, calling him at his home and talking for more than two hours on the telephone. Gregory said that he began secretly videotaping the woman, who is a mail carrier and delivers Gregory’s mail, taping telephone conversations and leaving notes in the window “to entice her to call me.” He said all these ploys were done with the knowledge and blessing of Marge Berkovich, an investigator with the state Attorney General’s Office.

Gregory testified he handed over tapes of six telephone conversations and copies of letters from Garrido to Berkovich in August.

“Instead,” he said, “I was duped. I provided the evidence and didn’t realize it was against myself.”

Assistant Attorney General Carlos Diaz questioned Gregory’s claims that he was working with Berkovich. “She never told you to tape Garrido, did she?” he asked Gregory. “No,” replied the former cop.

“Marge Berkovich told you that it was a violation if you taped the conversations, didn’t she?” asked Diaz. Gregory answered “Yes.”

Following the two-hour hearing, Judge MacMichael said he needed time to review the earlier testimony and would mail his decision in early January to the Calais District Court clerk.

Gregory’s day in court is far from over, however.

In October, a criminal complaint was filed against Gregory that charged him with four counts of “official oppression.” The complaint alleged that he had used his position as an Eastport police officer to request criminal record checks and motor vehicle information on several Eastport and Calais residents through the regional communications center. The four official oppression charges have been transferred to Washington County Superior Court, and no trial date has been set.

The officer’s other legal issues include a civil lawsuit he filed against the Calais Police Department. In September 1996, Gregory, who was 53 years old at the time, said he was rejected for a job as a patrolman with the Calais Police Department because of age discrimination. He also said a 24-year-old male reserve officer with less experience was hired for the job.

The Maine Human Rights Commission decided in May 1996 that the city discriminated against Gregory in its hiring process, but city officials denied any wrongdoing. The suit is pending.