Higgins trial: Bruce Lehrmann police record of interview released

The only account given by Bruce Lehrmann, who won’t appear as a witness in his rape trial, has been released.

Bruce Lehrmann outside court in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Rape accused Bruce Lehrmann was at his “wits end” after the media reported on allegations of rape made by his former ministerial colleague Brittany Higgins and says he received “hurtful” phone calls from journalists.

Mr Lehrmann’s interview with the Australian Federal Police is the only account of his version of events to which the public can access.

The former adviser has given no interviews and will not take the witness box in his trial on charges of sexual intercourse without consent and indifference towards whether Ms Higgins was consenting, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

The full interview, recorded on April 19 2021, was released by the court on Tuesday.

In it Mr Lehrmann said he “had a tough fortnight” after stories broke and said from a PR perspective he thought “I can’t get a job, nothing”.

Mr Lehrmann denied the allegations of rape made by Ms Higgins at the start of the interview.