Bruce Lehrmann questioned over cocaine texts on the night of Brittany Higgins’ The Project interview
Bruce Lehrmann has revealed he “spiralled pretty quickly” and turned to cocaine on the night Brittany Higgins’ allegations aired on The Project.
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Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has revealed that he “spiralled” and turned to cocaine on the night The Project interview with Brittany Higgins aired telling mates “need bags.”
Earlier this year the Federal Court published messages between Mr Lehrmann and his ex-friend John Macgowan on the night the story broke.
Asked about the exchange by Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC on Monday, Mr Lehrmann agreed he was talking about cocaine.
“I was in a bad place,’’ Mr Lehrmann said.
“You decided to spend some time that night with some friends and that substance,’’ Dr Collins asked.
“Yes, Dr Collins. I spiralled pretty quickly,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
The barrister for Network Ten then asked if he asked for friends to bring drugs.
“Sorry. Your reaction to spiralling was to ask for cocaine to be … to have cocaine brought to you?”
Mr Lehrmann: “I was in a bad place. Yes.”
In another message, he texted former Liberal staffer John Macgowan.
“You said ‘Happy days’. That was a reference to cocaine being available,’’ Dr Collins asked.
“Probably,’’ Mr Lehrmann asked.
Lehrmann questioned over texts with ex-friends
Mr Lehrmann received a text from a mate called Harry Hughes about the “pretty cooked allegation” that Brittany Higgins had been raped at Parliament House on the morning the story first broke, but insists he never knew the first story was about him.
Another former Liberal staffer John Macgowan also texted him to ask if he had any gossip on “who the Canberra rape guy is” but then later advised him not to “out” himself as the accused.
The Federal Court has heard on Monday of text messages sent to Mr Lehrmann by his former mates Harry Hughes, who is former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s nephew, and former Liberal strategist John Macgowan, who was giving him media advice.
“He’s a good friend of yours?’’ Dr Collins asked.
“Not anymore,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
Mr Hughes, who he has previously described in court as a close friend, sent Mr Lehrmann a link to the news.com.au article titled “Parliament House Rocked By Brittany Higgins’ Alleged Rape” and asked, “Know this chick?”
Mr Lehrmann responded that he “worked with her briefly” and “(she) was at team drinks etc”.
At 11.17am, Mr Hughes texted Mr Lehrmann to say it was a “pretty cooked allegation” before asking if he knew “who the guy was”, to which Mr Lehrmann wrote: “Not the faintest idea. I haven’t been approached by anyone”.
About half an hour later, another friend former Liberal staffer John Macgowan texted Mr Lehrmann to ask if he had “any gossip on who the Canberra rape guy is’”.
He continued: “The yarn says ‘rising star’ so that rules out our mates but who else?”
Mr Lehrmann replied he had “no idea in the slightest” and that he hadn’t been approached.
Later in the conversation, Mr Lehrmann texted Mr Macgowan to say he assumes “it will fizzle”, to which Macgowan said: “She (Ms Higgins) is on the Project tonight which isn’t exactly prime time stuff”.
Mr Lehrmann asked: “They wouldn’t name would they? Pretty slanderous stuff”.
Mr McGowan replied: “Well it’s defamatory”.
Neither the news.com.au article nor The Project named Mr Lehrmann, but he has argued in his defamation statement of claim that their stories included details that could have identified him to certain people.
Mr Macgowan, who is a former Liberal strategist who accompanied Mr Lehrmann to court during the criminal trial, also advised him not to issue a statement denying allegations he had raped Brittany Higgins before The Project’s interview went to air, saying “Don’t do that, don’t do that.”
Dr Collins indicated Mr Macgowan advised Mr Lehrmann “that that was the worst thing” he could do and said another friend with media experience said it was “a very bad idea”.
Both Mr Hughes and Mr Macgowan were then involved in finding a criminal lawyer for Mr Lehrmann called Ricky Korn.
However, Mr Lehrmann told the Federal Court on Monday he was no longer friends with his two mates.
Mr Lehrmann was previously grilled in the Federal Court in March, 2023 about whether he knew the article was about him when it was published in 2021.
Ten’s barrister asked Mr Lehrmann that he was “putting on a brave face because, he was “well aware that you were the subject of Ms Higgins’ allegations.”
“No,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
Bruce Lehrmann was also grilled about his communications with a journalist from the Daily Mail called Charlotte Karp.
The Daily Mail published a story stating that Channel Ten “botched” its attempt to contact Mr Lehrmann when preparing the story.
Mr Lehrmann said he did not know how that material was sourced and suggested he had not spoken to Karp.
Channel Ten’s lawyers then asked Mr Lehrmann’s lawyers to produce any relevant communications.
However, he said when he first read the news.com.au article he did not realise that it was about him.
“No I didn’t,” Lehrmann said when Collins asked if he thought it was him.
Mr Lehrmann said he didn’t think he was the man accused until he was contacted by a reporter, Rosie Lewis from The Australian, at 2pm who claimed that “government sources” said it was him.
“Did you realise when you read the (news.com.au) article by Samantha Maiden and that it was about you?,’’ he was asked.
“Not at that moment? I did not,’’ he said
The hearing continues.
Originally published as Bruce Lehrmann questioned over cocaine texts on the night of Brittany Higgins’ The Project interview
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