Bruce Lehrmann admits to buying Brittany Higgins drinks
Bruce Lehrmann has confessed to buying Brittany Higgins two alcoholic drinks on the night of her alleged rape, but stopped short of admitting he intentionally tried to get her drunk.
Bruce Lehrmann has confessed to buying Brittany Higgins two alcoholic drinks on the night of her alleged rape, but stopped short of admitting he intentionally tried to get her drunk, knocking back accusations that he touched her thighs and “pashed” her in a nightclub.
Mr Lehrmann denied in Federal Court on Friday that he was ever disciplined by then-defence industries minister Linda Reynolds over a heated discussion he had with colleagues three weeks before the alleged assault, relating to him pressuring Ms Higgins to stay for a drink after Senator Reynolds’ swearing-in ceremony.
Mr Lehrmann is suing Network 10 and presenter Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over her interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021, detailing accusations that Mr Lehrmann had raped his parliamentary staff colleague but not naming him as the alleged attacker.
Mr Lehrmann was cross-examined by Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC for the second day on Friday, and grilled over conversations he had with Ms Higgins at The Dock hotel in Canberra before going to Parliament House with Ms Higgins where she alleges she was raped.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Ms Higgins, Mr Lehrmann and other staffers drinking and eating potato chips and pizza around a crowded table at the popular venue on March 22, 2019.
Mr Lehrmann previously testified that at he had bought drinks for only himself and fellow Liberal staffer Austin Wenke, and said his interactions with Ms Higgins that night were “minimal”.
Dr Collins suggested to Mr Lehrmann that his interactions with Ms Higgins were “not minimal” and said he had bought her two “vodka drinks” throughout the course of the night.
While Mr Lehrmann initially said “I don’t recall buying her two vodkas”, he later said he was “happy to be corrected”.
“It’s very hard to recall specifically, I’m sorry,” he said. And later: “I’m being very careful not to, um, give definitive answers because my mind is blank at the moment.”
Justice Michael Lee eventually intervened, ordering a 15-minute break for Mr Lehrmann to get his thoughts in order.
Following the break, Mr Lehrmann backflipped on his previous evidence, admitting to giving a false testimony and saying he had bought Ms Higgins drinks that night.
“You remember going to the bar with Ms Higgins, don’t you, and ordering, on two separate occasions, a drink for her, and a drink for you,” Dr Collins said.
Mr Lehrmann said he had “become aware” of having bought alcohol for Ms Higgins after having reviewed CCTV footage from The Dock, and apologised for giving the false evidence.
“I was wrong,” he said.
Dr Collins then suggested to Mr Lehrmann that he was trying to get Ms Higgins drunk that night.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Mr Lehrmann amassing three drinks in front of Ms Higgins. Dr Collins asked Mr Lehrmann whether he remembered saying “all hers, all hers” while moving the drinks.
“I don’t recall every saying that, Dr Collins,” Mr Lehrmann said.
Dr Collins later suggested Mr Lehrmann told Ms Higgins to “drink that all now” while referring to an alcoholic drink, in which she responded “I don’t want to.”
He then suggested Mr Lehrmann said: “Drink it all. You can’t leave that. Come on, you’re not leaving that.” Following that, Ms Higgins skolled the drink and Mr Lehrmann said “Well done, what a surprise.”
Mr Lehrmann denied this conversation took place.
Mr Lehrmann rejected a suggestion he had a hidden credit card that he used to buy drinks that night, having previously testified he only spent $16 at The Dock across two cards from which bank statements have been tendered to the court.
The court was shown CCTV footage of Mr Lehrmann buying drinks at The Dock, after which Dr Collins outlined two transactions he made: one of two beers and a spirit-based drink, a second of two spirit-based drinks.
Collins: “You paid for five drinks in total.”
Lehrmann: “Yes.”
Collins: “You paid for those five drinks with a card or cards that we saw you hand over to the bartenders.”
Lehrmann: “Yes.”
Collins: “And those five drinks cost more than $16, didn’t they?”
Lehrmann: “Well, I can’t be sure about that.”
Collins: “Mr Lehrmann, you know very well that you can’t buy two beers and three spirit-based drinks for $16 at a trendy bar in Kingston, correct?”
Lehrmann: “No, not necessarily. That’s your opinion.”
Later in the cross-examination, Dr Collins put to Mr Lehrmann that he had touched and “pashed” Ms Higgins at the 88mph bar, after the pair left The Dock with two colleagues.
Dr Collins suggested at this point Ms Higgins was very drunk, and tripped over in front of Mr Lehrmann and staffers Lauren Gain and Mr Wenke.
“You observed her fall and graze her knee in front of the booth and you assisted her back up onto the couch,” Dr Collins said.
Mr Lehrmann replied: “No, that did not happen.”
Dr Collins indicated that Ms Gain and Mr Wenke were “hooking up” while at the 88mph bar.
“As that was happening, you were sitting close to Ms Higgins,” Dr Collins said.
Mr Lehrmann: “Yes.”
Dr Collins: “Touching her on the legs and on the thigh?”
Mr Lehrmann: “No I was not.”
Dr Collins suggested Mr Lehrmann put his arm around Ms Higgins and kissed her. Mr Lehrmann denied these allegations.
Mr Lehrmann denied being disciplined by Senator Reynolds over a heated discussion he had with two Liberal staffers about Ms Higgins, at drinks following Senator Reynolds’ swearing-in ceremony.
The alleged discussion occurred at the Kingston Hotel on March 2, 2019, after Ms Higgins had left the event. Dr Collins questioned Mr Lehrmann over the discussion that said involved Liberal staffer Nicky Hamer saying Mr Lehrmann and colleague Jesse Wotton should not have pressured Ms Higgins to stay at the event.
“Ms Hamer said to you and Mr Wotton that you shouldn't have been pressuring Ms Higgins to stay for a drink,” Dr Collins said.
“You and Mr Wotton said to Ms Hamer it wasn't her role to be offering Ms Higgins a job.”
Lehrmann said he did not recall the conversation occurring.
Collins then suggested the conversation “came to the attention of Minister Reynolds, and she spoke to you about it in a closed room meeting in the ministerial suite the following day.”
Lehrmann: “I’m sorry, I just don’t have any recollection of that.”
Collins: “You don’t have a recollection of being disciplined by a member of the commonwealth?”
Lehrmann: “I wasn’t disciplined for a conversation at the Kingston Hotel.”
The trial continues on Monday.
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