Bruce Lehrmann enters plea in car theft case

The former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann appeared in court via phone accused of stealing a car.

Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to stealing a car.

Mr Lehrmann, 30, and his high-profile Sydney criminal lawyer, Zali Burrows, appeared via phone in Hobart Magistrates Court on Thursday morning.

The first attempt to get Mr Lehrmann on the phone was unsuccessful with his lawyer saying he likely didn’t answer because it was an unknown number.

Magistrate Reg Marron told Ms Burrows: “We’ve got a room full of people here ready to go, when we ring back please make sure he’s ready to go.”

Mr Lehrmann answered on the second attempt.

Once everyone was on the call Ms Burrows proceeded to take issue with the material Tasmanian Police had provided her to date.

Bruce Lehrmann (pictured in 2023) appeared in court via phone on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

She said the name of the complainant – Gail Oates – had been blacked out of the documents she had been provided.

“The present concern is the police statement redacts the name of Ms Oates,” she said.

Ms Burrows said earlier media reports had included Ms Oates saying Mr Lehrmann allegedly stole her car and that these were: “Sub-judice” and “contempt”.

She said she would be filing an application for a stay of proceedings.

A stay of prosecution occurs when the case against a person has been prejudiced to the extent that it can not fairly proceed.

State prosecutor Bune Kokeo said any application for a stay would be strongly opposed.

He then submitted that Magistate Marron should request a plea.

“The issue right now is that the police have redacted the statement,” Ms Burrows said.

“I don’t understand why it’s such a national secret.”

In response the prosecution tendered a list outlining all documents that had been provided to the defence to date.

Magistrate Marron then told Ms Burrows things were different in Tasmania.

“Down here prosecution do things differently,” he said.

He went on to say that in Tasmania people who are charged with a criminal offence are initially provided with less evidence than in other Australian jurisdictions.

And it is only after a plea of not guilty is entered that the full prosecution is disclosed.

Magistrate Marron ended by saying he does not hold it against defendants if they request to see the full file by pleading not guilty.

Ms Burrows then entered a not guilty plea on behalf of her client.

In a final parting shot the prosecutor applied for Mr Lehrmann to be forced to attend in person when the matter came back before court.

The reasons why Mr Lehrmann appeared by phone were unclear but Magistrate Marron denied the application saying he could not see a good reason why Mr Lehrmann: “Should be put through that.”

Bruce Lehrmann (pictured in 2024) has been accused of stealing a car. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Appleyard

The matter will next appear on September 19.

Meanwhile Mr Lehrmann’s continues to pursue an appeal against a defamation judgment against him, in Sydney.

In 2023, Mr Lehrmann sued Network Ten and television presenter Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over a story that aired on the recently-cancelled show The Project.

Justice Michael Lee found that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.

A criminal prosecution against Mr Lehrmann was abandoned in October 2022 over juror misconduct.

After finding it was true that Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins, Justice Lee later ordered him to pay $2 million worth of legal costs to Network Ten.

Mr Lehrmann had a procedural win in his appeal in October last year, when Justice Wendy Abrahams – who is hearing his appeal - ordered he would not have to pay $200,000 of that money before his appeal proceeded.

And because Mr Lehrmann is on Centrelink benefits, Justice Abrahams found any attempt to retrieve the money he owed Network Ten would simply bankrupt him.

Justice Abrahams also allowed the appeal to go ahead without forcing Mr Lehrmann to put up money to secure the costs of Wilkinson and Network Ten.

Originally published as Bruce Lehrmann enters plea in car theft case