Bruce Lehrmann pleads guilty to driving without consent of owner after drunkenly taking wrong keys
Bruce Lehrmann was drunk and leaving a party when he accidentally took the wrong car keys, a court has been told as he pleaded guilty to a driving charge.
Bruce Lehrmann was drunk and trying to get home from a party when he took the wrong keys and accidentally drove the wrong car home, a court has been told.
The former Liberal staffer on Thursday pleaded guilty in the Hobart Magistrates Court to driving a car without the consent of its owner, after maintaining his innocence for more than a year.
The court was told Lehrmann was partying with people at a house in Mountain Creek – about half an hour west of Hobart in November 2024 when the offence occurred.
Lehrmann’s lawyer Zali Burrows told Hobart Magistrates Court her client was drunk at the time and took the wrong set of keys – believing they were to a car he had consent to drive.
“He’s lucky he wasn’t picked up by a breath test,” Magistrate Robert Webster said.
Lehrmann was not charged with any other offence.
Ms Burrows told the court her client was “horrified” when he realised what he had done and immediately returned the car – after filling the tank with fuel.
Magistrate Webster was presiding over a special Tasmanian process called a contest mention.
The process allows lawyers to frankly discuss the evidence and also get an indication of the likely sentence their client will receive if they plead guilty.
When Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer was told no conviction would be recorded he agreed to plead guilty – bringing the matter to a close.
The only issue was Lehrmann initially didn’t turn up to court in person this morning, with Ms Burrows citing his poor mental health as the reason.
She applied for him to dial into the hearing, but the application was denied.
Ms Burrows even went as far to submit the court should grant a restraining order against journalists asking Lehrmann questions as he came to court.
“I see no reason for that,” Magistrate Webster said before adding many people felt anxious about attending court and no one could be afforded special treatment.
He did however caution the media gallery against “shoving microphones” in Lehrmann’s face saying it was “just bad manners.”
When Lehrmann did eventually front the court – about 3.40pm – he told the court he was “very grateful” for the decision not to record a conviction.
He will now have to pay a $20 victims of crime levy and an $88.20 fee associated with the issuing of a court summons.
Thursday’s ruling is a fresh blow to Lehrmann, who on Wednesday suffered a bruising loss in the federal court when his appeal in a defamation suit that branded him a rapist - to the civil standard - failed.
Asked about the matter outside of court on Thursday Ms Burrows ruled out Mr Lehrmann being forced into bankruptcy as a result of the defamation case.
Ms Burrows said Channel 10 had agreed to stay any application for enforcement of costs until after January 30 – by which date she expects to have applied to the High Court to appeal.
In practical terms this means Mr Lehrmann will not be forced to pay the substantial legal bills Channel 10 incurred in the lengthy defamation trial.
Originally published as Bruce Lehrmann pleads guilty to driving without consent of owner after drunkenly taking wrong keys
