How Bruce Lehrmann gave up a chance to settle with Channel Ten – and instead was named as a rapist by a judge and left homeless and jobless

Network Ten offered to settle the defamation action with Bruce Lehrmann before the case went to trial, but he declined.

Charges submissions released by the Federal Court on Tuesday show that the network presented Lehrmann with a settlement offer in August 2023.

Tien had wanted the proceedings to be dismissed without admission of liability and without the network having to cover its costs.

Lehrmann was given until September 15 to consider the offer, but he rejected it within two hours.

According to Lehrmann’s statement, he rejected the offer because it did not give him an “opportunity for justification.”

The case was presented to Judge Michael Lee in December.

Last Monday, Judge Lee found on a balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.

More to come