‘That did not happen’ Bruce Lehrmann denies claim about alleged Parliament House rape
Bruce Lehrmann has detailed his version of events inside Parliament House with Brittany Higgins. WARNING: CONFRONTING
WARNING: CONFRONTING
Bruce Lehrmann has denied raping Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House, vehemently stating “I did not” as she is expected to give her evidence in the Federal Court next week.
Mr Lehrmann was on Friday grilled in witness box about his recollection of the missing 42 minutes inside Minister Linda Reynolds’ office inside Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019.
The former political staffer is suing Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson over their reporting of claims made by Ms Higgins on The Project, in February 2021, during which she alleged she was sexually assaulted by Mr Lehrmann.
In the Federal Court on Friday, under cross examination from Network 10’s barrister Dr Matt Collinson, Mr Lehrmann denied three key assertions - that he had attempted to get Ms Higgins drunk that night, that he “pashed” her at a bar and that he sexually assaulted her after finding her semiconscious or passed out in the minister’s office.
“During part of the period between 1.48am and 2.30am, you had sexual intercourse with Ms Higgins on the couch in the minister’s office, Mr Lehrmann,” Dr Collins asked.
“I did not.”
CCTV played to the court showed Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins entering the minister’s office before Mr Lehrmann emerged at 2.30am and caught an Uber home.
According to his version of events, he entered the office to retrieve his keys and while there he worked on some ministerial briefs before exiting.
“That did not happen Dr Collins” and “No Dr Collins” Mr Lehrmann repeatedly said as he was intensely grilled about the alleged sexual assault.
“Did Ms Higgins at any time consent,” Dr Collins asked.
“I didn’t get consent because I didn’t have sexual intercourse with her,” Mr Lehrmann said.
Mr Lehrmann will return to the witness box on Monday.
The court heard on Friday that Ms Higgins was expected to be called as Ten’s first witness at the conclusion of Mr Lehrmann’s evidence.
INSIDE MINISTER’S OFFICE
Mr Lehrmann previously told the court that once inside the minister’s office, he went to the left and Ms Higgins went to the right, in the direction of the personal suites of the minister and her chief of staff.
Mr Lehrmann said he never saw Ms Higgins again that night.
“I didn’t enter the minister’s office, Mr Lehrmann said.
Mr Lehrmann on Friday in the Federal Court reiterated his denial that he had sexually assault Ms Higgins on a couch.
“PASHING”
The court heard that Mr Lehrmann had dinner with a friend at a Canberra pub that evening, before meeting up with Ms Higgins and other colleagues at The Dock bar for drinks.
CCTV footage played in the court on Friday showed both drinking and socialising at the bar and at a large table surrounded by drinks.
In his evidence to the court, earlier in the proceedings, Mr Lehrmann said he only bought “a couple of rounds of drinks with his friend, Austin Wenke, at the Dock.
He previously told the court that it was a case of “one round me, one round him”.
However he on Friday afternoon conceded: “I was wrong.”
He left The Dock just before midnight along with Ms Higgins, Mr Wenke and another female colleague, Lauren Gain and they moved on to the 88MPH bar.
Mr Lehrmann denied seeing Ms Higgins fall over while at the 80s-themed bar.
“No she didn’t fall,” Mr Lehrmann said.
“Did you observe her fall and graze her knee and you assisted her back onto the couch,” Dr Collins said.
“That did not happen,” Mr Lehrmann said.
Mr Lehrmann further denied touching Ms Higgins on the leg and thigh, putting his arm around her and later kissing her.
“You pashed Ms Higgins while sitting in a booth at 88MPH between about midnight and 1.30am,” Dr Collins asked
“I did not,” Mr Lehrmann said.
The court heard that during his criminal trial, Ms Gain told the court that she saw Mr Lehrmann kissing Ms Higgins at 88MPH.
And in the Federal court on Friday Mr Lehrmann accused Ms Gain of colluding with Ms Higgins to give false evidence.
MIND BLANK
Under tense questioning from Network 10’s barrister Dr Matt Collins KC on Friday morning, Mr Lehrmann was asked about his interactions with Ms Higgins on the evening of March 22 at The Dock.
“You kept an eye on her right throughout the evening,” Dr Collins asked
“I disagree with that,” Mr Lehrmann said.
“You were monitoring what she was drinking through the evening,” Dr Collins said.
“No,” Mr Lehrmann said.
“You made sure she had a drink in her hand or close by,” Dr Collins said.
“No,” Mr Lehrmann said.
Asked if he bought her two vodka drinks at The Dock, Mr Lehrmann said: “I can’t remember yeah, I’m sorry.”
“As you sit there today, your evidence to Your Honour is you have no recollection of buying two vodka drinks at the Dock,” Dr Collins said.
“At this moment I’m really struggling, because I’m in the witness box I’m being very careful not to give a definitive answer because my mind is blank at the moment,” Mr Lehrmann replied.
Moments after Mr Lehrmann asked to take a break and left the witness stand for 15 minutes.
After taking a short break, Mr Lehrmann returned to the witness stand, and said he now recalled buying Ms Higgins a drink.
He said he recalled buying Ms Higgins one drink, but couldn’t be certain what kind of drink.
“After being able to take a short break … I recall going up to the bar with Ms Higgins,” Mr Lehrmann said after reviewing footage of the night.
When pressed by Dr Collins if it was in fact two drinks, Mr Lehrmann said: “During the break, the best I could recall was one, in that short break yes.”
“DRUNK”
He previously told the court he only bought drinks for a male colleague at The Dock bar.
However he said that after reviewing footage: “I was wrong.”
“You were trying to get Ms Higgins drunk,” Dr Collins said.
“No I wasn’t,” Mr Lehrmann said.
“You were ensuring she had a glass of spirit-based alcohol in her hands at every moment,” Dr Collins said.
“No,” Mr Lehrmann said.
THE BANK ACCOUNT
Mr Lehrmann told the court that he only had two bank cards and had produced records from both accounts, showing his transactions from the night, to the court.
The bank account showed that he only made one purchase, for $16, at The Dock Kingston on the evening of March 22, 2019.
When he was shown footage of him buying a large rounds of drinks, Mr Lehrmann said he couldn’t explain which account he used to pay for it.
“Can you offer any explanation to his honour as to how you were able to buy two separate rounds of drinks on the night of the 22nd of March, the first comprising two beers and a spirit based drink, the second comprising two sprit based drinks. And producing one record substantiating one $16 purchase,” Dr Collins asked.
“I honestly can’t, Dr Collins,” Mr Lehrmann replied.
The court was played CCTV footage of Ms Higgins skolling a drink late in the evening, before the group later moved to the 88MPH bar.
Mr Lehrmann denied suggestions that he encouraged Ms Higgins to drink quickly.
Dr Collins: “You said to her ‘drink that all now’,”
Mr Lehrmann: I would completely disagree with that.
Dr Collins: “She responded ‘I don’t want to’.”
Mr Lehrmann: “I don’t recall that ever taking place.”
Dr Collins: “You said ‘drink it all, you can’t leave that, come on, you’re not leaving that’.”
Mr Lehrman: “I disagree.”
Dr Collins: “At that point she skolled the drink while you watched on.”
Mr Lehrmann: “No I disagree.”
Dr Collins: “You then said to her as she finished skolling the drink ‘well done, what a surprise’.”
Mr Lehrmann said: “No I disagree with that.
“PICK UP SOME DOCUMENTS”
Mr Lehrmann then paid for an Uber to go back to Parliament House along with Ms Higgins.
He said Ms Higgins “didn’t give a reason” why she needed to go back to parliament.
After they arrived at about 1.50am, Lehrmann told security: “Bruce Lehrmann here with Minister Linda Reynolds. We’ve been requested to pick up some documents. I’ve forgotten my pass.”
He on Friday afternoon admitted that was a lie and he said he in fact needed to pick up his keys, which he left at work.
He was quizzed by Dr Collins why he felt he needed to go back to work to fetch his keys.
When asked if he could have knocked on his front door and asked his girlfriend - who he lived with - to let him in, Mr Lehrmann said it was “not as easy as that”.
Asked if he could have called his girlfriend, he said it was a “possibility.”
WHISKEY
The court has heard that on Tuesday March 26, he was called into Senator Reynolds’ office by her chief of staff, Fiona Brown, and was told to pack up his belongings.
He said he was told that his after-hours entry into Parliament House four days earlier represented a breach of the ministerial code of conduct.
Under questioning from his solicitor Steve Whybrow on Thursday, Mr Lehrmann said: “I believe I said I that came back to drink some whiskey or something like that, her tone was very tense.”
Mr Lehrmann said in his evidence to the court on Friday that he wasn’t sure if he told her it was whisky or to have a drink generally.
“You recollect having a conversation with Ms Brown in what why you said to her you had gone back to parliament to have a drink of some sort,” Dr Collins said.
“Yes,” Mr Lehrmann said.
“You may have used the word whiskey but you can’t be sure,” Dr Collins asked.
“Yes,” Mr Lehrmann replied.
“You couldn’t affirmatively say you had used the word whisky with Ms Brown,” Dr Collins asked.
“No,” Mr Lehrmann said.
COUPLE OF BEERS
Mr Lehrmann was intensely grilled over why he had left his pass and keys on his desk inside Parliament House.
“If you had not been intending to go to Parliament House, but instead to go home after having a couple of beers and a bite to eat with one of your best mates (Austin Wenke) on a Friday night at the end of the working week, you would have taken your case with you,” Dr Collins said.
“No, I disagree,” Mr Lehrmann said.
“If you were intending to go back to Parliament House, you would have taken your parliamentary pass with you,” Dr Collins said.
“That would be the ordinary course, yes, but sometimes you do forget,” Mr Lehrmann said.
Mr Lehrmann stood trial in the ACT Supreme Court last year after pleading not guilty to sexually assaulting Ms Higgins, but the trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.
The charges were subsequently dropped, Mr Lehrmann has continued to deny the allegations and no adverse findings have been made against him.
The trial continues on Monday.
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