‘Blatant lie’: Embattled lawyer Pat Lennon hits back over drug posses claim

Embattled ex-lawyer Pat Lennon says a bag of meth which police alleged he was carrying actually belonged to a former client, who he previously used drugs with.

Embattled ex-lawyer Pat Lennon says a bag of meth allegedly found on him belonged to a former client. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Embattled ex-lawyer Pat Lennon says a bag of meth allegedly found on him belonged to a former client and she told a “blatant lie” when testifying the drugs were his.

Former footy WAG Hava Brandman was with Mr Lennon – who once acted for Mick Gatto and champion jockey Danny Nikolic – when police allegedly found 11g of methamphetamine in his shoulder bag during a search in South Yarra.

Mr Lennon, who is trying to pin his drug possession charge on Ms Brandman, took to the witness box at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday saying his former client’s claims that she knew nothing about the drugs and they belonged to him were a fabrication.

“It’s a blatant lie,” he said.

Mr Lennon did admit using methamphetamine with Ms Brandman, claiming she introduced him to the drug, though he said the last time they had used together was in 2017 or 2018.

Hava Brandman denied owning the drugs or putting them in Mr Lennon’s bag. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The court heard Mr Lennon, 59, and Ms Brandman, who struck up a friendship after he acted for her, were sitting in the lawyer’s Jaguar outside Vogue apartments in South Yarra when she pointed out an unmarked police car driving opposite them in July 2020.

Police did a u-turn before flashing their lights behind them.

In his testimony, Mr Lennon said he put on a small black shoulder bag before exiting his car to speak with the officers — a claim disputed by a police officer who said he walked away from them.

Detective Senior Constable Khuong Tran told an earlier hearing Mr Lennon appeared “substance affected”.

Police told him he was in a “high drug dealing area” before searching him and his car, where they allegedly found a rolled-up $20 note in the door and a plastic bag containing meth in the shoulder bag.

Mr Lennon was taken back to Prahran police station where he was charged with drug possession, trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime — the latter two offences later dropped by prosecutors.

The court heard Ms Brandman, the former partner of Carlton great Ron De Iulio, texted Mr Lennon the following morning saying “f--k I feel bad”, “Pat I have nothing here, it’s f--ked” and “Pat I need some”.

“The thing I gave you, it was such a good bag, the one they took,” another message — allegedly in reference to the bag of drugs — read.

Hava Brandman leaves Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Mr Lennon said he met Ms Brandman at his office later that day, where she apologised and admitted placing the drugs in his bag because she did not think he would be searched because he was a lawyer.

“I was obviously upset,” he said.

Mr Lennon said they organised for Ms Brandman to make a police statement though it never happened.

In his police interview, the ex-lawyer gave no comment answers and said police had got it wrong.

He also maintained cash seized from his home was made through his legal work.

Lawyer Dermot Dann KC, for Mr Lennon, said Ms Brandman’s texts showed she was the source of the drugs, adding magistrate Brett Sonnet should have “no confidence” in her denials.

At an earlier hearing, Ms Brandman denied owning the drugs or putting them in Mr Lennon’s bag saying: “The drugs were not mine, full stop.”

“I never put any drugs in Mr Lennon’s bag and as a friend I would never do such a thing,” she added.

In his closing address, Mr Dann said prosecutors had relied on witnesses, including police, who had differing accounts and Ms Brandman had been unchallenged on some of her evidence.

“The prosecution case is completely and utterly dysfunctional,” he said.

Mr Sonnet will deliver his ruling next month.