Federal Court judge in Bruce Lehrmann defamation case orders alleged online troll to court

A man who allegedly ran a YouTube channel unlawfully broadcasting Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial has been ordered to front court.

A Federal Court judge has ordered a man to front court after it is alleged he unlawfully posted multiple videos to YouTube depicting Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial.

Towards the end of the five-week hearing earlier this month, Justice Michael Lee ordered tech giant Google to reveal who was behind an account uploading videos showing the broadcast of the court.

The court has now ordered Glenn Logan to front court.

It is claimed he is behind the account which allegedly breached a Federal Court prohibition order on rebroadcasting the YouTube livestream of the defamation proceedings. The conduct could amount to contempt of court.

Bruce Lehrmann is suing Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson for defamation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Lisa Wilkinson is pictured in the trial which lasted five weeks before Christmas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Despite the Federal Court being closed over the Christmas break, Justice Lee on Friday made orders for Mr Logan to front court in February.

“The court orders that: Mr Glenn Logan appear in person before the Federal Court of Australia at 9.30am on 13 February 2024,” the orders state.

According to the orders Mr Logan, either personally or by his legal representative, will have to tell Justice Lee why proceedings for contempt should not be instituted against him for the alleged contravention of the prohibition orders. He has not been charged with contempt.

The account allegedly contravened the orders by publishing nine videos on a YouTube channel, Feminism Debunked.

Of the nine videos identified by Justice Lee, only two remain online.

One was posted on December 11, where the video tells its followers: “YouTube has predictably removed all but one of my videos from the Lisa Wilkinson defamation trial, that’s the bad news.”

The account urges its followers to watch its videos on other platforms, as it claims every video on his channel as been demonetised as a result of the website being run “by extreme feminists”.

In addition to broadcasting the defamation trial, the account has hundreds of videos attacking women and feminism.

Common subject of the videos include sexual assault survivor Grace Tame, Brittany Higgins, and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

Brittany Higgins (centre) gave evidence during the trial. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Mr Lehrmann is suing Ms Wilkinson and Network 10 over an interview with Ms Higgins which aired on The Project, which he claims conveyed he was guilty of raping Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.

He consistently denies the allegations, and plead not guilty with the charge dropped in 2022 after a criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.

In the final five weeks of the court’s sitting year the defamation case has played out before the court.

Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins, their friends, family and colleagues, as well as Ms Wilkinson and others who worked on the story, gave their versions of events.

Justice Lee has reserved his decision in the matter.