Bruce Lehrmann to face Queensland rape charges in Toowoomba
Evidence in the alleged Queensland rape case against the former Liberal staffer will be heard in court on Monday for the first time.
Evidence in the alleged Queensland rape case against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann will be heard in court on Monday for the first time since charges were laid last year.
The 29-year-old will appear before the Magistrates court in his hometown of Toowoomba, two hours west of Brisbane, to face allegations he twice had non-consensual unprotected sex with a woman he met at a local strip club in October 2021.
It will be the first time Mr Lehrmann has been seen since his unsuccessful defamation battle against Brittany Higgins, Lisa Wilkinson and the Ten Network, in which he was found to have raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House on the balance of probability. Mr Lehrmann has lodged an appeal of the decision.
The Toowoomba matter has been heard before the court several times since Mr Lehrmann was charged in January 2023 but he has not appeared.
The committal hearing on Monday is a preliminary hearing that will test the evidence and determine whether the case will go before a jury at trial.
Three hours have been allotted for the police to outline their case. Mr Lehrmann is alleged to have met the woman in the club while, it is understood, he was staying with his mother just a few weeks after he first appeared in court over allegations he had raped Ms Higgins.
The woman told police he had introduced himself as Bryce, and they had consensual sex that night. The next morning, she alleges he failed to wear a condom without permission when they had sex twice, an offence called “stealthing”, which is considered rape under Queensland law.
Police were notified of the alleged encounter six weeks later, after the woman did an internet search for Ms Higgins and recognised images of Mr Lehrmann.
Mr Lehrmann will be represented by Brisbane-based barrister Patrick Wilson and solicitor Rowan King.
He has not entered a plea.
Mr King told The Australian Mr Lehrmann would be in Toowoomba on Monday.
“The court directed that he appear, and it’s on his bail forms. It was confirmed on the last appearance,” Mr King said. “If he doesn’t show up, the court will issue a warrant for his arrest.”
It is unknown whether the complainant will be giving evidence before on Monday.
When the matter was first heard in January last year, the media was unable to identify Mr Lehrmann because of Queensland laws that prevented a person charged with sexual assault from being identified before they were committed for trial. Following law changes in October and an unsuccessful suppression order, his nom de plume, “high-profile man”, was removed.
Mr Lehrmann’s criminal trial in the ACT for the alleged 2019 rape of Ms Higgins at Parliament House was aborted in October 2022 because of juror misconduct. The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions later dropped the charge.
Now a law student, Mr Lehmann will represent himself at an appeal of the defamation case findings in the Federal Court. He is also facing a NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal claim of $13,250 for alleged property damage to a rental in the Sydney suburb of Balgowlah paid for by Seven Network.
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