David Sharaz feared Brittany Higgins ‘felt like a passenger’ in his interview plans: court documents

David Sharaz told Lisa Wilkinson he had ‘scared’ Brittany Higgins in his early attempts to have her interviewed on The Project, court documents reveal.

Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz.

David Sharaz told Lisa Wilkinson he had “scared” Brittany Higgins in his early attempts to have her interviewed on The Project, and was concerned the former Liberal staffer would feel like a “passenger” in telling the story of her alleged rape.

Emails written from Mr Sharaz to Wilkinson, were released in a tranche of documents from Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial with Network 10 and the veteran television presenter on Friday morning.

Ms Higgins’ interview with Wilkinson, in which she detailed rape allegations against Mr Lehrmann but did not name him as the alleged attacker, is at the centre of the mammoth defamation case, which stretched over a five-week trial at the end of last year.

David Sharaz and Lisa Wilkinson.

The parties are now awaiting a judgment from Federal Court justice Michael Lee, who could deliver it at any time. Mr Lehrmann denies raping Ms Higgins, and says no sexual activity ever took place.

In the emails – written shortly after Mr Sharaz first made contact with Wilkinson to share Ms Higgins’ story – he admits to scaring “a woman I love and care about” because “this is taking off very quickly”.

Mr Sharaz first reached out to Wilkinson on January 18, 2021, pitching Ms Higgins’ interview with The Project in an email titled “MeToo, Liberal Party, Project Pitch”.

Two days later, he sent an email saying he had “scared” Ms Higgins by moving too quickly.

“In the effort of being a good partner to a woman I love and care about, I’ve scared her because this is taking off very quickly,” he wrote.

Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz upon arrival in France, where they now live. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

“Naively, I didn’t even think about the fact that she will feel like she’s a passenger in something. The consent was taken in the initial assault, I need her to feel in control of this.

“She’s given me permission to give you her number, on the proviso that you let her speak to Sam (Maiden, news.com.au) tomorrow before making contact.

“She wants to be in control of this, but was happy for me to tell you the background. She still works for them, and is frightened that this will blow up before she’s left or escalated a police report etc. (I.e she doesn’t want Channel Ten asking the bureau for Linda Reynolds vision randomly.)

“I hope this makes sense, and is okay. My role moving forward is to be a supportive partner for a woman I adore and care about deeply.”

Mr Sharaz then passed Wilkinson Ms Higgins’ mobile number so she could make contact directly.

Wilkinson replied an hour later, speaking to the importance of Ms Higgins being “comfortable” in the interview process.

“Brittany has to be comfortable, and right now she is putting all her trust in someone she has never met – me. That’s a big ask,” she wrote.

“This is Brittany’s story, no one else’s, and it is crucial that she remains the driver. Too many others have been in control of all that’s happened to her to this point.

“She is wise to want to change that. I can promise you that no-one from The Project will be making any calls to anyone until we are much further down the track, and well after Brittany has left the minister’s employ.”

In earlier correspondence with Wilkinson, Mr Sharaz discussed “going after the Liberal Party Machine”, and later told a Ten producer he knows a Labor MP who “owes” him and would let The Project team “secretly” film in their office to accompany the program.