‘Dear Bruce’: Court hears Lehrmann told bosses he went to Parliament for whiskey

Bruce Lehrmann, in his response to a “dear Bruce” termination letter, denied he had gone to Parliament House for “official purposes”. But that’s what he told police.

Bruce Lehrmann arrives at court for day six of the trial. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Two Liberal chiefs of staff have told a jury Bruce Lehrmann said he went to Parliament House, with Brittany Higgins, “to drink whiskey”, and not to do work or pick up his keys as he later told police.

It comes as the former staffer, in his response to a “dear Bruce” termination letter, denied he had gone to Parliament House for “official purposes”.

Lehrmann, 27, has pleaded not guilty to raping Ms Higgins in the early hours of 23 March, 2019, in the office of their boss then-Minister Linda Reynolds.

Ms Higgins told the court, last week, she understood she was getting a cab to their respective homes with Lehrmann when he decided to stop into Parliament House just before 2am after a night of drinking.

She claims Lehrmann raped her in the office while she passed out on the couch, Lehrmann denies seeing Ms Higgins after they entered the suite.

Former minister Linda Reynolds is expected to give evidence at the trial next week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Lehrmann told police, in an interview last year and played to court, he had gone back to Parliament to pick up his keys and deal with ministerial question time documents. He said he was “shocked” when Ms Higgins told him she, too, had business in the office.

A police officer who interviewed Ms Higgins told the court their notes indicate Ms Higgins believed she was headed home when she got a lift with Lehrmann and was “surprised” to end up at Parliament.

Lehrmann was fired by their chief of staff, Fiona Brown, after security informed her the two staffers had accessed the office.

“I took him through what I had been told, that he’d entered the building, he was observed – or they were observed to be inebriated … I wanted to know why he was there and could he give me an account of his version,” Ms Brown told the court on Tuesday.

“He didn’t agree that he was inebriated. He said that he came back to the office to drink some whiskey.”

Ms Brown said Lehrmann said people come back to drink “all the time”.

A second chief of staff, Reg Chamberlain, gave evidence before the jury on Wednesday about a joint phone call between himself, Lehrmann and Ms Brown.

‘HE JUST SAID THE PURPOSE WAS TO DRINK'

“When we asked what his purpose was, he said it was to have whiskey, to drink whiskey,” Mr Chamberlain said.

Mr Chamberlain told the court he did not recall if Lehrmann also said if he returned to Parliament for “work purposes”.

“No, he just said the purpose was to drink,” Mr Chamberlain said.

Lehrmann told security guards, in a recording played to the jury, that he was at the office with Ms Higgins “to pick up documents”.

Ms Brown said there was no urgent work to do.

“They had stated on entry they were there for urgent work business but there was no urgent work business,” she told the court.

Lehrmann was summarily fired and his letters back-and-forth with his bosses were released by the court this week.

Minister Reynolds, in a letter a week after the alleged rape, tells Lehrmann he was to be fired for accessing the office, and because of an earlier incident when he mishandled a classified document.

‘DEAR BRUCE’: REYNOLDS’ DISMISSAL LETTER

“Dear Bruce ... I am advised that when you sought entry to parliament house after hours, you did so by reporting to security that you were required to attend my office for important official business,” Ms Reynold’s signed letter begins.

“You have subsequently advised my Chief of Staff, Ms Fiona Brown, that this was not the case and that you entered for non-work related reasons.”

Ms Brown told the court, on Tuesday, Lehrmann explained he had come to Parliament to drink whiskey and there was no official work for him to do.

Lehrmann, in his response to Senator Reynolds, apologised for his lack of judgment but disputed her claims about his reasons for entering Parliament.

“I refute the claim that I informed security it was for official purposes,” Lehrmann wrote in response.

“This insinuates that I was acting under authority from you and this was in no way the case and I certainly did not make that inference.”

Lehrmann told security he was there to “pick up documents” before they buzzed him and Ms Higgins inside Parliament, the court has heard.

The termination letter ends with a form indicating Lehrmann was fired for “serious misconduct”.

PARLIAMENT BOSS IN TEARS, DENIES PRESSURING HIGGINS

A former Parliament House boss has broken down in tears as a jury heard Brittany Higgins thanked her for support — the emotional moment came after Ms Higgins claimed her Liberal Party bosses pressured her to drop a rape allegation.

Bruce Lehrmann has denied having sexual intercourse with Ms Higgins, without her consent and being reckless to her consent, in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

Ms Higgins has told the court, in her evidence, that she disclosed the alleged sexual assault to her chief of staff, Fiona Brown, in meetings days later.

Ms Higgins has also told the court she felt under “pressure” from Ms Brown and their office boss, Senator Linda Reynolds, to drop the complaint to campaign in WA.

Ms Brown, on Tuesday, denied ever saying she would lose her job if she did not go to WA.

Under cross-examination by Lehrmann’s barrister, Ms Brown said she received a message from Ms Higgins when Ms Higgins got a new job about three months after the alleged rape.

“I want to suggest that she indicated to you that she could not ‘overstate how much I valued your support and advice throughout this period’. Do you remember getting that message?” Lehrmann’s barrister, Steve Whybrow, asked.

Ms Brown said she remembered - her voice breaking, as Mr Whybrow continued.

“And she said, ‘You’ve been absolutely incredible and I’m so appreciative’?”

At that point Ms Brown put her head in her hands and sobbed in the witness stand.

“Sorry, your Honour,” she said, unable to continue.

The court adjourned as she was taken from the room.