PHOTOGRAPHER Jamie Fawcett told a court today that although he touched a listening device found outside the Sydney home of Hollywood star Nicole Kidman, he did not plant it.

Giving evidence in the NSW Supreme Court today, Fawcett said he picked up the device from the ground on January 23, 2005, after seeing Kidman`s security guard crouch down outside the house and then walk away.

"I thought it was odd and I went up to the place where he had done this and had a look,`` he said.

Fawcett said it appeared to be a listening device. He picked it up then put it back and walked to his car.

"I sat there and pondered about what had happened,`` he said.

He said he had not planted the device and he was concerned that "I have seen something that wasn`t right".

He said he saw the guard return and pick up the device.

Fawcett took defamation action against Fairfax, the publisher of the Sun-Herald newspaper over a January 2005 article. A jury found the article defamed him.

Justice Carolyn Simpson is now conducting a hearing in which the paper`s publisher is seeking to establish the truth of some of the article`s meanings.

The hearing is continuing.