‘Short irons are harder to break’: Bizarre moment judge jokes with star witness Taylor Auerbach

Television producer turned star witness Taylor Auerbach told a court he ‘hated’ his former boss and friend Steve Jackson, but that wasn’t why he filmed himself smashing his colleague’s golf clubs.

The court viewed a video clip of Taylor Auerbach breaking Steve Jackson's golf clubs which had been posted to social media. Picture: Instagram

Television producer turned star witness Taylor Auerbach told a court he ‘hated’ his former boss and friend Steve Jackson, but that wasn’t why he filmed himself smashing his colleague’s golf clubs.

In a farcical moment in the Federal Court on Thursday, a packed courtroom 22A sat in awkward silence as a 60-second video clip was played showing Mr Auerbach snapping multiple sticks across his knee which belonged to Mr Jackson.

Mr Auerbach uploaded the video to his social media accounts in October last year, then took it down a few days later.

But the video resurfaced this week amid Mr Auerbach’s bombshell allegations against the Seven Network’s engagement with former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

A bemused Justice Michael Lee smirked as he watched the vision.

“Short irons are harder to break,” he quipped, eliciting giggles from the gallery.

Taylor Auerbach in Elizabeth Bay on Thursday morning. Picture: David Swift

But Mr Auerbach told the defamation proceedings he filmed the stunt – with slow motion action and a grimacing face – to mimic a video Spotlight boss Mark Llewellyn had made shortly after Mr Auerbach left the network, and issued his former workplace with a legal letter.

“It’s a parody of a video that Mark Llewellyn had recorded where he was making those actions with his face ... It’s important to watch them side-by-side,” Mr Auerbach said.

Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach arriving at the Federal Court on Wednesday.

Mr Lehrmann’s barrister Matthew Richardson SC asked Mr Auerbach if he “particularly hated Steve Jackson”?

“Yes” Mr Auerbach replied, to more sniggers from the public gallery.

Mr Richardson was not amused: “You are destroying his golf clubs next to a caption that said, “Merry Christmas, sue me”.’

A steadfast Mr Auerbach denied the video was born out of hatred towards Mr Jackson, to which Mr Richardson said: “That’s just ridiculous”.

The court heard how the golf clubs had been left at Mr Auerbach’s home during a time he and Mr Jackson were ‘great friends’ as well as colleagues.

Mr Richardson asked Mr Auerbach if his motivation was to do ‘anything he could’ to destroy Mr Jackson’s character.

“No sir,” Mr Auerbach said.

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