Bruce Lehrmann’s cryptocurrency mystery while in hospital being treated with powerful antipsychotic drugs – as life collapsed around him after Brittany Higgins’ The Project interview

In the midst of his mental health crisis after The Project aired Brittany Higgins' rape claims, Bruce Lehrmann was dabbling in cryptocurrency from his hospital bed.

Mr Lehrmann checked himself into Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital the day after Lisa Wilkinson's interview with Brittany Higgins aired on February 15, 2021.

He was later admitted to the Northside psychiatric clinic at St Leonards on Sydney's lower north shore for 12 days of a 21-day treatment program during the media storm.

A 260-page log of all his cell phone activity from the day of the broadcast to March 3, 2021 shows that his girlfriend dumped him by text message and that friends dumped him.

But in the midst of his life crumbling around him – with only his mother, a close family friend and a friend from Canberra still standing by him – Mr Lehrmann mysteriously registered a login to two cryptocurrency exchanges.

The printout of his phone activity was released by the Federal Court this week as evidence in Mr Lehrmann's defamation action against Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten.

It shows that at 6.14pm on February 27, Mr Lehrmann recorded what appears to be his username or password for the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase in a Notes file on his iPhone.

Coinbase is a website that allows the buying, selling and receiving of untraceable cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Twelve minutes later, he logged in a username/password for another crypto site, Coinjar, which is often used as a virtual wallet that makes cryptocurrency available for real-world use.

The apparent usernames or passwords were not redacted in the log activity report published by the Federal Court.

There is no mention of cryptocurrency in Mr Lehrmann's texts or WhatsApp messages before or after in the log to explain the interaction, and nothing similar happens elsewhere in the activity log.

It came 11 days after he presented to the emergency department at Royal North Shore Hospital the morning after the interview with The Project and told doctors he was suicidal.

During his treatment, Mr. Lehrmann was prescribed the antipsychotic drug Seroquel, he told friends in text messages, which is used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

His hospital notes were released by the ACT Supreme Court during his criminal trial for rape, which he strongly denied and which was abandoned following juror misconduct.

“Bruce presented himself to RNS ED [Royal North Shore Emergency Department] due to deterioration of mental status with suicidal ideation,” the notes revealed.

'This comes against the backdrop of Bruce being contacted by multiple journalists claiming he was the perpetrator of a high-profile sexual assault at Parliament House in 2019.

'Until yesterday he had heard nothing about this – zero complaints reported, zero charges, zero contact [alleged] victim.

'It came as a huge shock and he contemplated suicide. These thoughts became acutely stronger when he was drunk last night after his friends had left.

'He fears these thoughts and denies having considered any plans. He told his mother and girlfriend about his suicidal thoughts.”

A progress report later added: 'Since Monday he has been unable to sleep, eat or relax. Bruce became tearful.

'He felt completely overwhelmed by the situation. He has told his mother, three best friends, his girlfriend and lawyer about the allegations, but no one else knows what is going on.

“He reported feeling lonely and not knowing who he could trust.”

While he was being treated, the cell phone log reveals the disintegration of Mr. Lehrmann's social life while he was on sick leave from his job at British American Tobacco.

His close group of friends who drank heavily with him after the Project interview – and whom he begged to bring him “bags” of cocaine – usually abandoned him within days of the broadcast.

He suspected someone had tipped off the media that he had been hospitalized, and they gradually left their WhatsApp group chat until only one was in regular contact with him by the end of February.

Greta Sinclair, Lehrmann's girlfriend at the time the interview aired, also cut ties with him within days of The Project's claims.

After a series of loving text messages between the couple on the day the interview aired, the relationship quickly began to grow tense.

“I want to be there to support you where I can, but I have to step away a little bit because I have to think about my mental health too,” she told him on February 18, 2021.

“I don't come to visit, but we can still talk every day.”

Mr. Lehrmann later responded, “You don't love me anymore.” Two seconds later he added, “It's okay.”

Ms Sinclair replied: 'It's just a lot to deal with on top of my mental issues so it's not easy for me and today it was scary as I disappeared from reality.'

Five days later, on February 23, she ended the relationship completely.

“This is all kind of a lot for me and a journalist tried to add me on Instagram,” she wrote to him at 11:31 am.

“I'll be available to talk every now and then, but I'm not going to continue our relationship.” I'm sorry and I hope you understand.'

There is no record of Mr. Lehrmann's response.

Lifeline Australia 13 11 14

Beyond blue 1300 22 4636

Men's line Australia 1300 78 99 78