It was not until around 2:30 PM on the second day of the defamation proceedings that Bruce Lehrmann was challenged under oath for the first time about his version of events on the night he claimed to have raped Brittany Higgins.
He had spent Wednesday afternoon and much of Thursday being questioned by his own lawyer, Steven Whybrow SC, in the Federal Court about what happened at Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2021.
Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied assaulting Ms Higgins and is now suing Lisa Wilkinson and Channel 10 for making her allegations on The Project on February 15, 2021.
Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) appeared in federal court on Thursday for the second day of a defamation trial
Mr Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson (centre) for airing Britanny Higgins’ rape allegations on The Project on February 15, 2021
He was not named on the broadcast, but claims friends and former colleagues were able to identify him as the alleged rapist.
The former aide confidently told the court on Thursday that he went back to Parliament that evening to collect his keys, claiming he and Ms Higgins went in opposite directions as soon as they entered Linda Reynolds’ ministerial suite.
He appeared calm and collected throughout Thursday, but his confidence appeared to waver during cross-examination by Ten’s barrister, Matthew Collins KC.
Mr. Lehrmann had a few hairy moments – he had never been questioned in court about any of them before – and appeared somewhat flushed on the witness stand.
He was only questioned once in March this year, during his request to continue the defamation case beyond the normal one-year period.
Repeatedly asked if he could recall specific conversations he had with former colleagues more than four years ago, he repeatedly said, “Dr. Collins, I don’t know anymore.’
Mr Lehrmann (third from right) was cross-examined by Ten’s barrister, Matthew Collins KC, who questioned him about allegations that he found Ms Higgins (centre) attractive
Dr. Collins told Mr Lehrmann that he had told two other employees that he found Ms Higgins attractive.
“You said to Ms. Hamer in front of Mr. Watten, ‘Send her a message,'” Dr. Collins said.
“That is, send her a message and see if she’s free to come to the bar.”
Mr Lehrmann replied: ‘I don’t remember that happening.’
Mr Lehrmann told the court that he had lost friends during the broadcast of The Project, had checked into a mental health clinic and that his life had “completely spiralled”.
When asked about the impact of The Project on his life, Mr Lehrmann told the court: ‘The Project has completely destroyed me.’
‘Everything stemmed from that – the loss of friends, finances, parts of my family not bothering to contact me.’
Mr Lehrmann told the court that he was ‘booted’ from Facebook group chats during the week of February 15, 2021 – when The Project interview aired.
When he wasn’t on the stand, he sat in the front row at the far edge of the courtroom and watched intently.
Apart from the witness and the lawyer, the only thing that could be heard in the courtroom was the furious tapping of keyboards.
Ms Wilkinson (left) attracted attention again when she appeared at the Federal Court on Thursday
Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied assaulting Ms Higgins (pictured left with partner David Sharaz)
Wilkinson, on the other hand, turned heads again when she emerged for a second day, having largely avoided the spotlight since her Logies acceptance speech last year.
She returned to her seat in the front row, on the opposite side of the gallery from Mr. Lehrmann, and seemed unperturbed as that same speech was played to the court.
During that televised address, she defiantly praised Ms Higgins for making her allegations public and “never giving up”.
She then faced an outcry from the ACT chief judge, who feared jurors might look at it and damage the trial.
At that time, in June 2022, the criminal case would only last a few days. It was then moved to October.
But no one would have known anything about that purely based on Wilkinson’s reactions in court on Thursday.
The TV presenter occasionally opened her black book to take notes, before closing it and paying close attention to the proceedings.
Outside the courtroom, Wilkinson smiled as she walked alongside barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC and Dr Collins.
The trial continues tomorrow.