Bruce Lehrmann’s staggering seven-figure bill is exposed after crushing court loss: How much homeless, jobless rapist will have to cough up – and his one silver lining

Bruce Lehrmann’s legal costs could top $2 million after losing his blockbuster lawsuit against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

Justice Michael Lee found in the Federal Court on Monday that Lehrmann had raped a very drunk Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

It was a crippling blow for the former Liberal staffer turned law student who has not had a job since early 2021, when Ms Higgins first went public with her allegations in an interview with Wilkinson on The Project.

Lehrmann was not mentioned in that broadcast, but launched a defamation action in an attempt to clear his name – an attempt that failed spectacularly when Judge Lee branded him a sex offender, an unreliable witness and a liar in his three-hour sentencing.

The defeat means he now has to worry about covering the costs of Network Ten and Wilkinson’s lawyers.

His only saving grace may be that he doesn’t have to worry about paying his own lawyers because they worked on a no-win, no-fee basis.

Brittany Higgins is pictured with her fiancé, David Sharaz. On Monday, a judge ruled that her rape allegations against Bruce Lehrmann were true

The exact amount owed to Ten and Wilkinson will be determined at a later date, with Judge Lee setting April 22 as the deadline for filing charges.

But it will probably be a seven-figure sum.

Wilkinson’s lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC alone charges $8,000 a day and her total bill was worth more than $700,000 in October – two months before the actual month-long defamation hearing.

Since then, Ms Chrysanthou attended almost every day of the month-long hearing in December. Her charges are now probably worth more than $1 million.

Then there are the costs of lawyers on both sides, and the fees of Matthew Collins KC, Network Ten’s lawyer.

The cost of the entire case is estimated at $10 million.

Outside court, Ten’s lawyer Justin Quill said on Monday he is confident the network will be able to recoup some of the costs.

And speaking on Sunrise on Tuesday morning, Mr Quill explained that the judge had asked for comments from both sides on their costs before deciding who should pay what.

Lisa Wilkinson and her lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC walked away from the defamation case arm in arm on Monday

“That order… I’m reasonably confident that it will be in Ten’s favor and perhaps on an indemnity basis, which means Ten would be entitled to all his costs,” he said.

“Whether they can recoup those costs is another matter and will largely depend on Bruce Lehrmann’s resources.”

The state of Lehrmann’s finances is unknown, but he is currently unemployed and probably couch surfing without a fixed address.

If he can’t find a way to pay his bills, he may have to declare bankruptcy.

During his ruling on Monday, Judge Lee said: “To say that Mr. Lehrmann was a poor witness is an understatement.”

“His commitment to the truth was weak, not based on fidelity to his claims, but by shaping his answers based on what he perceived to be his forensic interests.”

Judge Lee found that Lehrmann returned Ms Higgins to a ‘secluded location’, namely the ministerial suite, after a night out with colleagues with the intention of having sex with her.

Bruce Lehrmann is photographed outside court on Monday after losing his defamation case

“Mr. Lehrmann was determined to have sex with a woman he found sexually attractive, who had kissed and touched passionately, encouraged drinking and who he knew had lower inhibitions because she was very drunk,” he said.

‘I am satisfied that it is more likely than not that Mr Lehrmann’s state of mind was such that he was so eager for gratification that he was indifferent to Ms Higgins’ consent.’

Lehrmann was tried for sexual assault in the ACT Supreme Court in October 2022, but the case was dismissed due to juror misconduct.

ACT’s former Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently dropped charges against him, citing concerns about Ms Higgins’ mental health.

He had pleaded not guilty.