British singer Boy George is on trial for allegedly handcuffing a male escort and threatening to harm him last year at his east London flat.

Jurors in Boy George’s trial on false imprisonment charges at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London listened to a police recording of the singer, real name George O’Dowd, telling his version of what happened between him and Norwegian male escort Audun Carlsen in April 2007.

The 29-year-old Carlsen accuses O’Dowd, 46, of immobilizing him with handcuffs on their second meeting, while inside the singer’s east London flat, and of hitting him with a chain.

The former Culture Club singer says in the recorded interview that he handcuffed Carlsen to his bed because he feared the escort had tampered with his laptop, stealing nude photos of himself.

O’Dowd can be heard in the interview explaining that he restrained Carlsen so he could check his laptop and that he never hurt the man nor did he intend to do so. “I certainly wasn’t going to kill him, that’s hardly going to do my career any good is it?” he told police.

The singer described Carlsen as “lying” and “smug,” referring to a phone conversation the two had had before meeting for a second time at his flat. The two became acquainted over the Internet and agreed to get together for a pornographic photo shoot. The first meeting apparently included O’Dowd spanking Carlsen but only with the latter’s consent. O’Dowd denied that he swung a chain at Carlsen as he ran from the flat.

The doctor who examined Carlsen has testified that the Norwegian man had injuries, including a cut on his left forearm and bruises on the back of his head and on his right arm, reports Reuters.

O’Dowd is adamant that he did not assault Carlsen and denies the false imprisonment charge.