Brittany Higgins quizzed by Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer about Lisa Wilkinson recording

Brittany Higgins has faced questions over a six-hour conversation she had with Lisa Wilkinson, as she took the stand for the third day.

Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyers have quizzed Brittany Higgins about a six-hour conversation she had with journalist Lisa Wilkinson, in which her partner could be heard detailing a timeline of when the story of her alleged assault would drop.

Mr Lehrmann, 27, has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse with Ms Higgins without consent.

On Thursday, the court was played a short snippet of audio from the January 27 meeting with the Project host and her producer.

“It’s a sitting week when we want the story to come out,” Mr Sharaz could be heard telling Ms Wilkinson.

In the audio, he added that he would speak to his “friend” senator Katy Gallagher so she could continue pressing the government on the matter later in Senate estimates.

Ms Higgins with Ms Webster, Mr Sharaz and her advocate. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“It’s a mess for them … that’s why Britt picked that timeline,” he said.

Ms Higgins was quick to tell the court that her partner’s point of view of the Liberal Party was not her own, but ultimately as a “media adviser” she stood by the timing of the story.

“You would naturally drop a story at the start of a double sitting week,” she said.

‘I STAND BY IT’

Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer, Steven Whybrow, pressed Ms Higgins about her relationship with the media and why she did not speak to police until after she disclosed the incident to the media.

“I thought I would do one print, one TV (interview) and go back to uni and disappear,” Ms Higgins told the court.

“I wanted to address a cultural problem. I loved my party. I loved the Liberal party. I didn‘t want to hurt them. I wanted reform on this issue.

The jury heard Ms Higgins spoke to journalists – Samantha Maiden and Lisa Wilkinson – prior to reinstating her police complaint in early 2021.

“There were various factors, but one was that I chose to quit my job, so that was no longer an inhibiting factor in me going forward,” she said.

“I came to a decision. I‘d reached a critical mass point and I could no longer work for the government.”

“They happened within days of each other.

“I stand by my choice. I am not ashamed of that.”

Mr Lehrmann arrived at court on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

HIGGINS’ COVERT RECORDINGS

Earlier, he court heard Ms Higgins had secretly recorded a phone conversation with then-employment Minister Michaelia Cash in the days after her resignation.

“You recorded her on that call without her knowledge?,” Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer Steve Whybrow asked.

“That’s correct,” Ms Higgins confirmed.

Ms Higgins told the jury it was “the weirdest call of my life” as the senator spoke about a security guard being the alleged perpetrator.

Within 15 minutes of that phone call finished, Ms Higgins sent that recording to friend Emma Webster, the court heard.

“It was my word against a cabinet minister. The power disparity between them is ridiculous,” she said.

Ms Higgins said the recording was sent to multiple friends for “safekeeping”.

The admission came shortly after Ms Higgins told the court she had also recorded a conversation with Daniel Try, the former chief of staff to the Minister, without his consent.

“It was for my legal protection. Just to corroborate … I didn’t know if (journalist Samantha Maiden) believed me 100 per cent,” she said.

Ms Higgins arriving at court with friend and advocate. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

DRESS WAS WORN TO LIBERAL FUNCTION IN PERTH

Mr Whybrow also grilled Ms Higgins about the time frame she gave to the court about the dress she wore on the night of the incident.

Earlier, she had told the court she kept the white cocktail dress in a plastic bag under her bed, hidden for a period of six months.

But the jury was shown a picture of Ms Higgins wearing the dress as a dinner for senator Linda Reynolds birthday while on the campaign in Perth – less than three weeks after the alleged assault.

“It stayed under my bed unwashed for a period of time … I was wrong (about how long it was there),” she said.

Asked why she had taken the dress to Perth, Ms Higgins told the court she wanted to “reclaim her agency”.

“It might sound ridiculous to you but … the worst thing in the world happened to me in this dress. It was just this moment. I wanted to reclaim my agency,” she said.

Earlier, the jury was told Ms Higgins handed over the dress to police in February 2021 before going public with her story.

But after it became “clear” to her she could not continue with the police complaint and keep her job, she said she “symbolically” washed the dress.

“I wore it once after. I never wore it again,” she said.

BRITTANY FELT PRESSURE TO NOT PURSUE COMPLAINT

Ms Higgins the jury she felt pressure from her bosses, Senator Reynolds, to drop her rape complaint because the claims could pose a “political problem for the Liberal Party with women”.

Crown Prosecutor Shane Drumgold has alleged in the ACT Supreme Court that Mr Lehrmann sexually assaulted Ms Higgins in the office of their boss, Minister Reynolds, after Ms Higgins became very intoxicated after staff drinks.

Mr Lehrmann denies having sex with Ms Higgins.

Brittany Higgins wiped away tears as she was shown the footage. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Higgins told the court her chief of staff Fiona Brown had been supportive in their first meeting, where Ms Higgins first claimed she had been “assaulted” by Mr Lehrmann, but the next meeting “became political”.

The second meeting, Ms Higgins told the court, took place with Minister Reynolds and Ms Brown in the suite where she claimed she was raped.

“ (Minister Reynolds) said something to the effect of ‘I didn’t think he was capable of something like this’,” Ms Higgins said.

Ms Higgins told the court Minister Reynolds apologised and then the conversation became about the upcoming Federal election.

“My interpretation of that was; if I raised it with police, there were going to be problems, and they wanted to be involved or informed,” Ms Higgins said.

Ms Higgins said she wasn’t sure if it was a “scare tactic” or “intimidation tactic” to speak with her in the same room she was allegedly assaulted, but it felt like an “adversarial space”, she told the court.

Brittany Higgins arrives to give evidence in front of an ACT Supreme Court jury on the third day of the trial. Picture: Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Ms Higgins told the court it was made clear to her that her bosses wanted to be made aware if she went to the police.

“This could, theoretically, be perceived in the broader public sense as a political problem for the Liberal Party with women,” Ms Higgins told the court.

Ms Higgins told the court her first contact with police was with the federal agents stationed inside of parliament about a week after her alleged assault.

Ms Higgins said the police quizzed her about the alleged sexual assault but she had “no direct knowledge” about how they came to be aware of it.

Ms Higgins subsequently met with ACT Policing on 8 April 2019, prosecutors told the court.

“They picked me up from Parliament House. They took me to Belconnen Station … they gave me the rundown on what lodging a complaint looked like,” she said.

“We were discussing organising a formal statement … when would (that) take place,” she said.

Ten days later then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the election.

Two days after the election was called, prosecutors told the court, Ms Higgins wrote an email to police informing them she would not proceed with the complaint.

Ms Higgins told the court she wanted to work from her hometown, Queensland’s Gold Coast, and continue with her police complaint.

But, the former staffer said, Ms Brown made it clear that she needed to go to WA for the election or she would not have a job.

“It became really apparent my job was on the line, so I towed the party line, and I decided not to proceed at that time,” Ms Higgins said.

She told the court she was very intoxicated. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

KEY VIDEO SHOWN TO JURY

As the trial entered its third day on Thursday, Mr Drumgold played the jury audio of Mr Lehrmann requesting access to the building, telling security around 1.40am that Ms Reynolds had asked him to “pick up some documents”.

“Oi, hi mate, Bruce Lehrmann here with Minister Reynolds. I have been requested to pick up some documents. I’ve just forgotten my pass,” he told them.

Ms Higgins, who was 24 at the time, wept as the court was shown footage of her and Mr Lehrmann passing through security, with Ms Higgins struggling to put her black heels on.

“Is this the second time you’re seeing it?” Chief Justice Lucy McCallum asked.

“Yes, that’s correct,” she responded, wiping away her tears.

In the footage, Ms Higgins appears to bundle her heels in her arms, along with her handbag, before walking barefoot with Mr Lehrmann and a security guard down the blue carpeted hallways of Parliament House.

The CCTV appears to show the security guard using her radio to open another secure door and allowing Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins inside before turning around and leaving.

When asked by the Crown prosecutor how drunk she was when the CCTV was taken, Ms Higgins told the court she “didn’t remember any of this”.

She told the court her level of intoxication was “very high”.

Bruce Lehrmann, the man accused of the sexual assault of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

JURY SHOWN PICTURE OF BRUISED LEG

A photograph of a bruise on Ms Higgins’ leg was shown to the court that she said was taken in the days after the alleged assault.

“It was the week of the budget which was the week after the assault … I took a photo because it was still there,” she told the court.

Ms McCallum asked Ms Higgins to stand and show the court exactly where on her leg where the bruise was.

“I assumed (I obtained it) during the course of the assault,” she added.

The trial continues.