Bruce Lehrmann texted a friend asking “I have gear” and saying “I need bags” the night Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations became public, court documents have revealed.
The former Liberal Party employee told friends he wanted to ‘get turned on’ because ‘nobody had a job tomorrow’ on the night of February 15, 2021.
That was the same night that Higgins appeared on The Project and alleged that she had been raped at Parliament House in 2019 by an unidentified man.
Lehrmann is suing Channel 10 and news.com.au for defamation over reports that were published in March 2021 about the allegations. He claims that the reports led to certain people identifying him as the defendant.
He has always denied the accusations.
Bruce Lehrmann texted a friend asking “I have gear” and saying “I need bags” the night Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations became public, court documents have revealed.
Following his cross-examination on Thursday, where he revealed he was “outraged” by the allegations, his court documents showing all the text messages he sent and received on the day the news broke were made public.
A message log shows the staffer spent the night at his lawyer Warwick Korn’s office drinking whiskey and watching The Project, which included an interview with Brittany Higgins.
He then texted his friend four consecutive texts saying: ‘need bags’, ‘let’s get it done’ ‘nobody has work tomorrow’ followed by ‘paying’ ‘let’s fire up’.
About 20 minutes later, he texted a friend from work saying “I’ve got gear” but she replied saying she was home and they needed to “keep it clean”.
After his cross-examination, where he revealed he was “outraged” by the allegations, his court documents showing all the text messages he sent and received on the day the news broke were made public.
Then he texted another friend to say ‘Come here it’s good’ followed by ‘How many bags?’
At the same time, a colleague sent him a text saying “tomorrow won’t be good” and that he needed to “get the crap under control”.
The friend from work added: ‘Clear your name mate, that’s all that matters. You only have your name and a name’.
‘You have to take this seriously mate. Go home and don’t leave your apartment.’
The former Liberal Party staffer told friends he wanted to “get turned on” because “no one had work tomorrow” on the evening of February 15, 2021. A mockup of his WhatsApp messages is shown.
Mr Lehrmann is suing Channel 10 and news.com.au for defamation over reports that were published in March 2021 about the allegations of Ms Higgins (pictured). He claims that the reports led to certain people identifying him as the defendant.
Court documents also reveal messages from the morning, when Mr. Lehrmann discovered the news after a friend texted him a link to the story asking if he “knew this girl.”
Mr. Lehrmann responded by saying that he ‘worked with her briefly’ and ‘(she) was on team drinks etc.’.
His friend responded by saying it was a “pretty concocted accusation” and asked if he “knew who the girl was.”
Mr Lehrmann said he had ‘not the foggiest idea’.
“No one has approached me,” he wrote.
About half an hour later, another friend sent him a text asking “if there was any gossip on who the Canberra rape guy is” before adding “the story says ‘rising star’ so it rules out our mates.” but who else?”
He replied that he “had no idea” and that “no one had approached him” before saying that he “assumed it would fizzle out.”
“She (Mrs. Higgins) is on the Project tonight, which isn’t exactly prime time,” he wrote, before adding “wouldn’t name it would they… pretty scurrilous stuff.”
Lehrmann sent a series of messages to his then-girlfriend Greta Sinclair after the allegations against him (pictured) were aired. She later told the court that most of them were ‘manufactured’ to ‘pacify’ her because she was upset.
His friend replied: ‘well, it’s defamatory’.
The Project or news.com.au article did not name Mr. Lehrmann. In his defamation suit, he claims that his stories included details that “could identify him” to certain people.
By 3 pm, Lehrmann had retained lawyer Warwick Korn and sat with him in his Sydney office and raged when Higgins accused him of raping her.
Texts from the next day show him thanking the lawyer for the support.
Lehrmann’s girlfriend at the time, Greta Sinclair, was distraught over the extraordinary televised allegations.
He placated her by sending her messages suggesting her lawyer had told her he was a “pawn” and “part of a larger political hatchet job.”
During further questioning Thursday, Lehrmann admitted to Ten’s attorney, Matthew Collins KC, that Korn never said that.
Lehrmann’s girlfriend at the time, Greta Sinclair, was distraught over the extraordinary televised allegations. he is photographed
Brittany Higgins leaves the ACT Magistrates Court with members of her legal team in Canberra on October 14.
Text messages surfaced in which Lehrmann told Sinclair he was having a “glass of scotch” in Korn’s office while awaiting Lisa Wilkinson’s interview with Higgins on the current affairs show.
“If they name me tonight, I’m running for millions in defamation… (Mr. Korn) said I won’t see the light of a court,” he said.
Later that night, at 10:02 p.m., he sent Ms. Sinclair another message saying, “He (Mr. Korn) is still taking notes though, he’s very professional.”
While being questioned in court, Lehrmann admitted that Korn was not, in fact, taking notes during their conversation and insisted that he just wanted Sinclair to feel good.
“I wanted her to think my house was in order”
