All Blacks security man escapes conviction

A veteran security guard won't have a conviction recorded against his name for his role in the All Blacks hotel listening devices episode.

References from 15 people including rugby league great Mal Meninga, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and McCaw's successor, Kieran Read, were provided to a Sydney magistrate on Friday before she placed Adrian Gard on a one-year good behaviour bond.

The 52-year-old security contractor, whose 33-year career has included him protecting the Rolling Stones and several sporting teams, was found guilty in August of acting as a security consultant without the proper licence.

Downing Centre Local Court heard on Friday Gard was working for the New Zealand national rugby union team in August 2016 when asked to organise for someone to sweep a Double Bay hotel room for listening devices.

His barrister, Anthony Kimmins, said Gard was under the mistaken belief his level of security licence permitted him to facilitate that.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson agreed Gard's offending was at the very lower end of the scale and rejected the prosecution's call for Gard to be fined.

NZ Rugby chief executive Steve Tew and a retired police officer also provided character references for the father of two.

"You are clearly of high and good character," Ms Atkinson said.

But she again criticised the way the security team and All Blacks handled the finding of a bug inside a meeting room chair five days before the match against Australia.

The court had earlier heard All Blacks team manager Darren Shand wanted the investigation into the listening device, which wasn't transmitting, kept in-house until after the match.

Police were eventually informed on match day.

"The sensible thing would have been to just step out (and let police handle it)," she told Gard on Friday.

The magistrate in August found him not guilty of making up claims he found the device, with Ms Atkinson finding it could have been planted weeks or months before the All Blacks stayed there.