A council leader lied about his home address on nomination forms to gain a "political advantage", a court heard.
Russell Bowden, the Labour leader of Warrington Borough Council, is accused of giving a false statement in nomination papers ahead of the 2021 local elections by giving the home address of his estranged wife.
Opening the 53-year-old's trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, Sarah Griffin, prosecuting, said: "Even though, at first blush, it might not sound like the worst offence in the world, the Crown say that he has broken the laws that underpin our very democracy and the right we all have to be confident that the politicians we choose to represent us have reached that position honestly."
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The court heard that, in forms submitted on April 6 2021, Bowden gave his home address as Applecross Close in Birchwood, in the ward he represented.
But he was alleged to have moved out of that property in 2019 and was living in Lulworth Place, Bewsey, the prosecutor said.
Ms Griffin went on: "The fact or reason, we say, he had the Birchwood address on his form was to gain a political advantage - so that the electors in the Birchwood ward, on learning of his home address, at the very least from the voting card, would consider him to be a local man who lived in their ward."
She said an investigation was carried out by council officials after the local election and it was found that the sole resident of the Birchwood address was Bowden's estranged wife, Beverley Bowden, who was receiving a single person's council tax discount.
Records showed Bowden moved out in June 2019, the court was told.
Ms Griffin said Bowden, who became council leader in 2019, had spoken to police in 2020 about whether someone else had used the correct home address.
She said: "The Crown say that this is significant because it demonstrates that he was aware of how important it is to make an honest declaration about your address."
Police visited the Birchwood address in May 2021 and spoke to resident Sharon Smith-O'Malley, who told them she became aware that the Bowdens were splitting up in 2018, Ms Griffin said.
Bowden's neighbour said she had only seen him at the house about three times a year since he moved out and remembered his car as a Mercedes Benz with a loud exhaust. The car was registered to his address in Bewsey, the court heard.
In police interview, Bowden answered "No comment" to questions but gave a prepared statement in which he claimed the Birchwood address was his permanent address but that he had moved out due to the problems in his marriage and the impact that was having on his wife's mental health.
The trial is expected to continue for the rest of the week.
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