MP Chester Borrows says he took a threat from a protester with a dildo "seriously".
He told Whanganui District Court this morning he was worried the sex toy was made of a "hard substance" such as wood.
Mr Borrows, a former Courts Minister, is on trial for careless driving causing injury to two TPP protestors, Denise Lockett and Tracy Treadwell on March 22 last year.
A week before the protest another man, Philip Rewiti, had posted a picture of Paula Bennett crying, a dildo printed with her name and the message, "See you shortly, bitch" on Facebook.
The court heard yesterday how Mr Borrows had alerted police to the threat on the morning of the protest.
While inside a breakfast meeting, Mr Borrows said they could hear protestors calling out and a lot of expletives. He took photographs of the protestors gesturing from inside the building.
Mr Borrows said as the group – including Mrs Bennett and her press secretary – left the Collegiate motel after a breakfast. Mrs Bennett was "quite agitated" and anxious the doors of the car were locked.
He said the protesters "shuffled" into the middle of the driveway and he could see Mr Rewiti waving the dildo and shouting, "I've got a present for you" at Mrs Bennett.
Mr Borrows said he was worried it would be used to break the windscreen, or a protestor would climb onto his car.
He says he drove slowly, padding the brakes, as he was trained to as a police officer. He was ready to stop if requested by an officer.
"I didn't drive off until the coast was clear," he said, and wasn't aware of any incident until afterwards.
Earlier, Judge Stephanie Edwards rejected a call to throw out the case.
Defence lawyer Nathan Bourke had argued there was no case to answer.
Judge Edwards said she must consider all the evidence at the end of the trial.
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