Its a highly unsatisfactory result for all; Higgins, Lehrmann and the justice system. "[I] lined it up so mum would get my super," he said. It's good music there," he told police. We can publish your original content under the Save(1) Please login to bookmark Username or Email Address Password Remember Me Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has retained defamation lawyer Mark OBrien to mull []. Hey there! Some time ago, now safely out of the memory of the average Australian, a political staffer working for Linda Reynolds, named Bruce Lerhmann was accused of rape inside Parliament House by Ms Higgins, a fellow staffer. The ACT supreme court trial of Lehrmann is now in its closing stages, and defence barrister Steven Whybrow finished his closing submissions to the jury on Wednesday morning. Sign up to Guardian Australia's Morning Mail, Our Australian morning briefing email breaks down the key national and international stories of the day and why they matter. From the 21st Fusiliers to the 21st Century, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Labor set a superannuation trap and Dutton immediatelytook the bait, Here's what the super tax changes might mean for you, NT Labor candidate confirms involvement in fatal car crash that led to conviction of driving without due care, Freya is one of 15,000 Australians who must find a new life-saving medication or pay a much higher price, Man who murdered Jay Brogden convicted of contempt of court, Live: Australia loses first wicket on day two but still on top in Indore. Sources claim that Bruce regularly attended court hearings with a woman by the name of Alexandra. This came six months after allegations were first made public accusing an unnamed staffer of sexually assaulting Ms Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. It stated the pair first spoke on the phone for about 90 minutes on or about January 20, 2021, when Ms Higgins outlined her situation. Drumgold urged the jury to consider the evidence of those who knew Higgins closely, who say they witnessed a marked change in her demeanour in the aftermath of the alleged rape. Lawyers for Bruce Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent, made their closing arguments on Wednesday. NSW adopts affirmative consent in sexual assault laws. During the first trial, the defence consistently shifted focus away from the actions of the accused, onto those of Higgins - a typical tactic in rape trials. [It was] most convenient place to get the then very drunk and vulnerable complainant alone possibly with the hope that she would either not resist or not remember, Drumgold said. Mr Drumgold described Ms Higgins as a credible witness, telling the jury that her story and the evidence provided by her has remained consistent over the years. Ms Higgins alleges she was assaulted by Mr Lehrmann inside the Parliament House office of former cabinet minister Linda Reynolds, for whom they worked as staffers, in 2019. A former Liberal Party staffer accused of raping a colleague inside Parliament House told police he wanted to die afterhe heard about the allegation from a journalist. He said he entered and turned left towards his desk, while Ms Higgins turned right and went to a different part of the office. All the legal news headlines that matter delivered to your inbox daily. One can only hope that all parties can get on with their lives and those who reflect on the experience will resolve not to repeat the mistakes that were made. Print. Bruce made waves in 2022 when Brittany Higgins accused him of sexual assault. Bruce Lehrmann, 27, denies sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins on a government minister's sofa after a night out in Canberra in 2019. It stated Mr Lehrmann falsely denied having sexual intercourse with Higgins to the Australian Federal Police on April 19, 2021. Judge Debra Lehrmann is no relation to Bruce Lehrmann. Lehrmann must have family concerned for his welfare. It claimed Ms Wilkinson acted as a responsible journalist and outlined the steps she took in preparation for the story. Currently listed missing persons in the ACT. Bruce Lehrmann, who is he? Mr Lehrmann launched legal action against Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10, as well as News Corp Australias News Life Media and news.com.aus Samantha Maiden, over coverage of Higgins allegations in February 2021. It is suddenly not available. "I really enjoy 88 It's a favourite of mine.". AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/rape-trial-shown-bruce-lehrmann-police-interview/101530814, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Guard found Brittany Higgins 'naked in foetal position', China leaving US behind on development of critical technologies, report finds, Former minister takes 'absolute responsibility' for Robodebt, admits defending scheme despite knowing it could be unlawful, 'Sickening, callous and brazen': Sydney man dies in hail of bullets in front of 12yo son, Evelyn worked three jobs when she was in her 20s to build up her super. Rick Sarre is Emeritus Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at the University of South Australia and an Adjunct with UniSA: Justice and Society. Abandoning the trial of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins is an appalling and unfair outcome for all involved the justice system included. Police examinations of her phone could not locate the image or any reference to it in texts until 2021. "She was taking a while to put her shoes back on, whatever," he said. Lisa Wilkinson is not a lawyer and understood her interviews with Brittany Higgins were thoroughly checked by Channel 10s legal team, her defence has claimed. Australian Liberal Party political adviser Bruce Lehrmann, 27, was born in June 1995. media relentlessly reported on her every word, Why was the Brittany Higgins trial delayed, and what is 'contempt of court'? This decision would not have been made lightly, and almost certainly, would have been made in consultation with Higgins. "It was such an innocuous night not an unusual night," he said. In the Lehrmann case, the DPP has determined - and maintains - there are reasonable prospects for a conviction for the charge of sexual intercourse without consent - an offence other states call rape. Ignoring sexual violence in the media isnt the answer - change rarely comes out of darkness. An inspection of the home page for the above entry shows that it is a slick and very well presented website with several subordinate pages. There is no doubt that he would have made the same choice again. Collaborations. Im not here again to tell you or to prove why she goes back to the police and initiates this again in 2021, Whybrow said. Newcastle is the largest coal port in the World. Speaking specifically about Brittany Higgins, he said he had received independent evidence from two medical professionals, which made it clear the ongoing trauma associated with this prosecution presents a significant and unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant. Above is an image of Liberal media consultant Bruce Lehrmann who completely vanished in April 2019. We are a non-partisan agency, which sets us apart. The defamation cases first public hearing, which is expected to examine the application for an extension, is listed for March 16. Mr Lehrmann told police a security guard took them to the office of their boss, the then defence industry ministerLinda Reynolds. After the trial, a letter written by Network 10 executive vice-president Beverley McGarvey claimed that neither the networks senior legal counsel or Ms Wilkinson realised they had been cautioned about the speech in a meeting with the Director of Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold. Once her job was secure, the defence says, she told police in 2019 that she was no longer interested in pursuing the complaint. This is not new. ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC dramatically dropped the case against Bruce Lehrmann, accused of raping Ms Higgins in the parliamentary office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds after a night out drinking with colleagues in March 2019. Mr Lehrmann said the group began drinking at The Dock, a pub in inner-suburban Kingston,before moving to the nightclub 88mph in Canberra's CBD. Lehrmann told parliament security he had been instructed to pick up documents, before telling Reynolds he had never implied he was acting under her authority when entering the building after 1.30am. They inform societys response to sexual violence including that of the criminal justice system. During his closing argument on Tuesday, Mr Lehrmanns lawyer, Steven Whybrow, offered the jury examples of where he believed Ms Higgins had not been truthful in her evidence or had thrown people under the bus. If this is a fabrication, shes also quite the actor, he said. Yes, the legal system treats an accused as innocent until proven guilty. There are two tests the DPP must consider in determining whether or not to prosecute a case. The advance on the book deal was worth $325,000, the court has heard. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Her claims were first published by news.com.au political editor Samantha Maiden on February 15, 2021, with an interview with Lisa Wilkinson airing on The Project that night. Higgins is seeking mental health treatment in hospital. The series is set to be just the tonic 18-year-old Kuol needs following his departure from the Central Coast Mariners in January. Find & Borrow. The advanced search feature is available for members only. US $49.9 Install the pre-cut overlays over the exterior of the light This is a much better alternative Includes: Driver and Passenger Side Headlight & Fog Light Precut Vinyl Tint Overlays Item:Pre-cut SMOKE Vinyl Overlays Bruce Lehrmann is on trial before an ACT Supreme Court jury, charged with raping Brittany Higgins in March 2019. The bruising fallout from Ms Wilkinsons Logies speech resulted in a delay to the criminal trial. Why Is The Morrison Government Covering-Up A Missing Persons Case? They were managing a radiation spill at Lucas Heights at the time. Parker & Partners has been building productive relationships between our clients, the public and Australian governments since 1998. There is no evidence other than Ms Higgins and the extent to which her subsequent statements, demeanour to other people, assists you in accepting what she says. Instead, a criminal justice system that is not fit for purpose and a media storm more interested in the scandal, both bolstered by a community that readily consumed and regurgitated sexist victim-blaming narratives, saw the charges dropped. Lisa Wilkinsons defence in her defamation case states she is not a lawyer and understood Tens colleagues had fact-checked Brittany Higgins allegations. The plan for a second trial of Bruce Lehrmann has been dropped after expert medical advice warned it posed a "significant and unacceptable risk" to Brittany Higgins' life. But we do need to respect the dignity and privacy of victim-survivors. Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra. Credit: Getty Images, Alex Ellinghausen Lehrmann alleges the publications convey four defamatory meanings, including that he "raped . Alex Ellinghausen/Rhett Wyman. Help using this website - Accessibility statement. Bruce Lehrmann was accused of raping Brittany Higgins in the office of their then-boss Linda Reynolds in Parliament House in 2019. The defence alleges: Higgins fell asleep on the couch in (Senator Reynolds) suite Higgins woke some time later at about 2:30am and Lehrmann was on top of her having sexual intercourse with her Higgins did not consent to the sexual intercourse with Lehrmann. The former Liberal staffer has accused her ex-colleague, Bruce Lehrmann, of raping her at Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019. Drumgold pointed to the multiple reasons Lehrmann gave for the early morning visit to parliament with Higgins on 23 March 2019 that appeared at odds with other witness testimony. He was formerly the Dean of Law at the UniSA Law School. The latest development follows the abandonment of an earlier trial after it was found a juror had done their own research, against the explicit and repeated instructions of the judge. managing a radiation spill at Lucas Heights at the time. Contact us to take a free trial. Morrison government informed the Australian Federal Police about this high profile missing persons case? The man accused of raping a colleague in Australia's Parliament House in Canberra has gone on trial. Higgins, a former Liberal staffer, alleged Lehrmann, then a fellow staffer, raped her in the office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds in 2019. The prosecutor said he formed the view in June that there was a reasonable prospect of conviction and this is a view I hold today. Ms Higgins had been unable to attend court for most of the week. Decades of research confirms victim-survivors experience the justice system as retraumatising. Mr Lehrmann says he did not interact with Ms Higgins after they entered their workplace office late at night Bruce Lehrmann is on trial before an ACT Supreme Court jury, charged with raping Brittany Higgins in March 2019. Taha Sabbagh was shot and killed in front of his young son as the pair were on the way to the gym early on Thursday morning. His chief-of-staff Fiona Brown says Lehrmann told her that he was there to drink whisky. 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