Brittany Higgins to give evidence in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann after being unavailable for four days

The trial for the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins at Parliament House is expected to wrap up as soon as next week.

Brittany Higgins will return to give evidence in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The trial for the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins at Parliament House is expected to finish next week.

Ms Higgins, a former Liberal staffer, alleges Bruce Lehrmann sexually assaulted her in the ministerial office of Linda Reynolds in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

He has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexual intercourse without consent.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold told the jury on Wednesday afternoon that the Crown expected it would close its case in the first part of the week, possibly on Tuesday.

At the start of the trial, the jury was told the proceedings could run from anywhere between four and six weeks. Next week will be the third week of the trial.

Brittany Higgins will return to give evidence in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Ms Higgins will return to give evidence in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann on Friday.

Mr Drumgold confirmed the new timetable today and the jury has been informed.

She was unavailable to given evidence since Monday and the trial has continued in her absence calling witnesses.

“The Prosecutor indicated this morning that Ms Higgins evidence will resume on Friday,” Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said.

As the second week of the trial began on Monday, the jury was told Ms Higgins, who was due to continue facing cross-examination questions from Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer Steven Whybrow, was unavailable.

The case is continuing and witnesses have appeared in Ms Higgins’ absence, but a non-publication order has been placed on what has occurred in court. The order will remain in place until Ms Higgins completes her cross-examination.

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

Ms Higgins faced an emotional day of cross-examination last Friday with Mr Whybrow entering a line of questioning that caused her to break down during her third day on the witness stand.

The jury heard that in the days after her alleged assault, Ms Higgins sent a text message to her former chief of staff, Fiona Brown, asking for a day off so she could go see a doctor.

In her previous evidence, Ms Higgins told the court Ms Brown was the first person she had told about the alleged assault.

The court heard the former Liberal staffer never attended the GP appointment, with Mr Whybrow stating the reason for this was that she “hadn’t had sex with anyone on Friday night consensual or otherwise”.

“That’s not true,” Ms Higgins said.

Mr Whybrow continued, suggested she told Ms Brown she needed to go to the doctor to “bolster your false accusation that something non-consensual had happened with Mr Lehrmann”.

“Nothing that you are saying right now is true whatsoever and it’s deeply insulting,” Ms Higgins replied.

Prior to Ms Higgins’ cross-examination, the jury heard her answer questions from Crown Prosecutor Shane Drumgold about the night at the centre of the trial.

In the first few days of the trial the jury was played two interviews between Ms Higgins and police recorded on February 24 and May 26, 2021.

In the police interviews Ms Higgins detailed her allegations against Mr Lehrmann, including claims that she “felt trapped” and “not human” during the alleged assault.

The jury heard Ms Higgins describing the events of the night leading up to the alleged assault, including being “very, very drunk”.

The jury was also shown CCTV footage from the night of the alleged assault showing Ms Higgins consuming more than 11 alcoholic drinks while out with Mr Lehrmann and other colleagues, and CCTV of the pair entering Parliament House.