ABC reporter makes unfortunate on-air gaffe about Bruce Lehrmann and David Sharaz while reporting on Brittany Higgins moving to France
An ABC journalist has made a mistake on live television by saying Brittany Higgins flew to France this week to “start a new life” with her alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann.
Veteran court reporter Elizabeth Byrne made the comment on ABC News Mornings while discussing Lerhmann's defamation case with host Casey Briggs.
Byrne's innocent mistake may not surprise followers of the Higgins saga, who see a vague physical resemblance between Mr. Lehrmann and her fiancé David Sharaz.
The two young men have a similar build, thick dark hair, wear glasses and always go to court in suits.
It is also often referred to in the same sentence in media reports.
An ABC journalist has made a mistake on live television by saying Brittany Higgins has moved to France to “start a new life” with her alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann instead of her fiancé David Sharaz. Ms Higgins is pictured with Mr Sharaz in France
Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed last month that Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz would be leaving Queensland to start over in the village of Lunas in the south of France.
The couple were photographed this week at the five-bedroom castle that Mrs Higgins bought with part of her $2.4 million taxpayer-funded compensation payment.
On Thursday morning, Byrne crossed live from Canberra to provide an update on Mr Lehrmann's defamation action against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.
After Byrne, who has worked for the national broadcaster since 1987, described what was at stake for Ten and Mr Lehrmann, Briggs asked her about Ms Higgins.
“Well, Brittany Higgins was just a witness in this case,” Byrne said. 'She has no finger in the pie at all.
'She has just agreed to be a witness for Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson and is effectively no longer here in the country.
She and Bruce Lehrmann left a few days ago to start a new life in France. But no doubt they will be watching to see how this turns out.”
Briggs did not correct the reporter and simply said: 'Elizabeth Byrne in Canberra. Thanks for the update.'
Viewers were quick to respond on social media, with one X user asking for an apology and describing Byrne's confusion as “outrageous.”
Another wrote on the same platform: “I know it was a slip of the tongue but I gasped.”
A spokesperson for the ABC declined to comment.
Mr. Sharaz is a former journalist, while Mr. Lehrmann was a Liberal staffer when he briefly worked with Ms. Higgins in Senator Linda Reynolds' office.
Bruce Lehrmann (above) is suing Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over an interview on The Project in which Brittany Higgins claimed she was raped in an office at Parliament House
Ms Higgins has accused Mr Lehrmann of raping her on a sofa in their boss's Parliament House office in March 2019, but she did not go to police at the time.
Mr Lehrmann is suing Ten and Wilkinson over a February 2021 interview on The Project in which Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by a colleague without naming him.
He was later charged with rape and tried, but the ACT Supreme Court hearing was aborted in October last year due to juror misconduct.
Mr. Lehrmann has always denied having sexual contact with Ms. Higgins.
Judge Michael Lee, who is presiding over the defamation case in Sydney, will hear the final submissions.