A former Channel Seven producer filmed himself breaking a set of golf clubs belonging to his former colleague, before sharing the video with his Instagram followers.
Taylor Auerbach, 32, accused Mr Lehrmann of leaking confidential documents to Seven, including private text messages, security footage and audio clips of Brittany Higgins, all initially obtained by police during the investigation into the rape allegations. from Mrs. Higgins.
His claims spanned three affidavits, some 2,000 pages in total, and contained enough evidence for Judge Michael Lee to reopen Mr Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson on Tuesday night.
Auerbach, who worked with Lehrmann on Seven’s Spotlight program before leaving the network at the end of last year, will give evidence in the Federal Court on Thursday afternoon.
Now, video has surfaced showing Auerbach smiling widely as he destroys a set of golf clubs belonging to another former Spotlight producer, Steve Jackson.
The video, which appeared to have been filmed in a basement late last year, began with Auerbach waving happily at the camera.
He looked directly into the lens and slammed a stick on his knee, triumphantly holding the broken stick in front of the camera before throwing it to the ground.
He pulled another one out of the bag and grimaced as he struggled to break it the same way.
When the club didn’t break on his thigh, he tried to hit it on the ground, then on his leg again, and then against a wall, before it finally broke when he hit it against the corner of a brick wall.
He waved the broken stick at the camera before the footage ended.
Auerbach then shared the video with his Instagram followers.
It is unclear why he targeted Jackson’s golf clubs, but it is understood there was tension between the two when Auerbach left Spotlight.
Tensions erupted in March when Jackson took a job as senior media adviser to New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb.
Within days of that announcement, Auerbach had accused Jackson of trying to cover up two $1,000 Thai massages that were reportedly booked for him and Lehrmann using a Seven corporate credit card in November 2022.
At the time, Seven was trying to seduce Mr Lehrmann into signing the exclusive agreement.
There is no suggestion that Mr Jackson did anything wrong and he had nothing to do with arranging the massages or using the company credit card.
Mr. Lehrmann denied the situation and called Mr. Auerbach a “disgruntled employee.”
Mr. Auerbach then sent Mr. Lehrmann a note of concern, which is the first step in a defamation lawsuit.
Network Ten used Auerbach’s claims about Lehrmann to request an emergency interlocutory hearing Tuesday night.
Judge Lee was due to rule in the case on Thursday, but that date was vacated in light of the new evidence.
Auerbach flew from New Zealand to Sydney on Tuesday night and was photographed at the airport wearing a sheer black shirt.
He will give a statement on Thursday at 2:15 p.m.
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