Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has confirmed that Channel 7’s Spotlight program has been paying his rent for a year as part of an arrangement to deliver a “bombshell” interview with host Liam Bartlett.
Under the agreement he also agreed to provide “all information, documents, video and photographs” reasonably requested by Seven.
However, Mr Lehrmann said he did not do this and only provided an interview.
In evidence to the Federal Court today, Mr Lehrmann has revealed that Channel 7 had been paying for his rental accommodation after the exclusive interview aired in May, 2023.
“And it was part of the agreement, isn’t it, that you were paid for 12 months of accommodation by Channel Seven?,’’ barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC asked.
“Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
“And it was part of the agreement, isn’t it that you were paid for 12 months of accommodation by Channel Seven?
“Yes, that’s what I get,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
Ms Chrysanthou SC asked if the agreement to pay Mr Lehrmann’s rent in the contract was from June 2023 to June 2024.
“Umm, well, yes. For filming in those places,’’ he replied.
Asked how much the year’s rent was worth, Mr Lehrmann said he didn’t know because the “network handled the accommodation arrangements”.
Former 60 Minutes reporter Liam Bartlett fronted the first television special with the man who was accused of the rape of Brittany Higgins at Parliament House.
Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty, was never convicted and the charge against him was dropped in December, 2022. He maintains his innocence.
Executive producer Mark Llewellyn told news.com.au in May that the Seven Network had not paid Mr Lehrmann for the exclusive interview.
“No one was paid,” Mr Llewellyn told news.com.au.
“7NEWS Spotlight made no payment to Bruce Lehrmann for the interview, however the program assisted with accommodation as part of the filming of the story.”
A promo for the first television interview states: “Bruce Lehrmann has never told his side of the story. Not one, single word. Now, he’s breaking his silence.”
Comment has been sought from the Seven Network.
In a statement, Seven host Liam Bartlett, who is overseas on assignment said that the network had previously noted it was assisting with accommodation costs.
“We said at the time we were assisting Bruce Lehrmann with his accommodation costs,’’ a spokeswoman said.
“It was well reported back then. The 7NEWS Spotlight report was rightfully judged by the esteemed Walkley Foundation as one of the top three scoops of 2023.”
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann slams Lisa Wilkinson’s Logies
Mr Lehrmann earlier slammed Lisa Wilkinson’s Logies speech as “reckless” and Scott Morrison’s speech about Brittany Higgins as “stupid” and prejudicing his right to a fair trial.
Mr Lehrmann is continuing his evidence today for a fifth day as Lisa Wilkinson’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC commenced her cross examination. She has been raising issues that go to the mitigation of damages in the event that the court finds Mr Lehrmann was defamed by Channel Ten.
She asked Mr Lehrmann about former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s speech to Parliament in February, 2022 where she apologised to Ms Higgins for the “terrible things that happened here.”
At the time, Mr Lehrmann was facing criminal proceedings over the alleged rape. He pleaded not guilty and the trial later collapsed following an allegation of juror misconduct and concerns regarding Ms Higgins’ mental health.
“You heard the Prime Minister refer to Miss Higgins as having the courage to stand,’’ Ms Chrysanthou SC said.
“In his stupid Parliament speech? Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann said.
“Yes and a number of party leaders and other Labor Party frontbenchers. Yes.”
Earlier, Channel Ten’s barrister Dr Matt Collins completed his cross examination of Mr Lehrmann on Tuesday morning.
Ms Chrysanthou SC then asked Mr Lehrmann he stood by his claims that Ms Wilkinson had prejudiced his right to fair trial with her Logies speech.
“You’ve alleged that Ms Wilkinson committed a flagrant contempt in relation to your criminal trial. Do still believe that to be true?,’’ the barrister asked.
“Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann responded.
“You’ve also alleged that she behaved in a high-handed and reckless manner in relation to the truth of the allegations against you,’’ Ms Chrysanthou SC said.
“Do you still believe that to be true. And you also alleged that she is engaged in conduct that was prejudicial to you.”
“Yes,’’ he replied.
“Now, last week, you were present during the opening of your case? And you heard one of your senior counsel in opening, say on Wednesday morning, that my client, Lisa Wilkinson’s, ostentatious outrage was part of a visceral denunciation of you as the most odious of predators. Do you remember hearing that?
“Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann said.
“In his opening, he said you were publicly maligned as probably one of the more revolting predators of recent history in this country, did you hear that said.
“Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
Mr Lehrmann earlier revealed he contacted a drug dealer in the hours after The Project aired to purchase cocaine.
Mr Lehrmann is facing his fifth day in the witness box and is being grilled on his activities after the news broke of Brittany Higgins rape allegation.
The former Liberal staffer has consistently denied that he raped Ms Higgins or that there was any consensual sexual activity of any kind.
He is suing Channel Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over The Project’s interview, which did not identify him, arguing he was identifiable to other colleagues.
On Tuesday, Dr Collins KC asked Mr Lehrmann what he did after he left his lawyer Rick Korn’s office where he watched the broadcast on February 15, 2021.
“That night, I hardly slept,’’ Mr Lehrmann said.
Mr Lehrmann said he went home and my friends came over and had some drinks.
“I was in a very bad mental way,’’ he said.
“Can I suggest this to you that you didn’t go to bed at all that night, and you . . . didn’t go home until about 6:30am in the morning,’’ Dr Collins asked.
“Possibly I just can’t (recall) off the top of my head,’’ Mr Lehrmann responded.
“My headspace was really bad. I’m sorry.”
Dr Collins KC asked if he had “flirted” with the idea of contacting Channel 10. He asked Mr Lehrmann to examine text messages with a former Liberal staffer Tahlia Robertson.
He then texted another individual on his phone called “backup guy.”
“Was that a drug dealer?,’’ Dr Collins KC asked.
“Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann said.
A Cellebrite report of his phone that was released in March by the Federal Court shows that on that day Mr Lehrmann again texted a friend John Macgowan three times at 10.11pm, saying “Need bags” and “Let’s get it done” and “No one has work tomorrow.”
Shortly afterwards, he told Macgowan that a friend was paying.
“Harry paying apparently as he’s staying,” he said.
“Lol so let’s get lit.”
About 20 minutes later, Lehrmann texted another friend.
“You got any gear? Harry and John here,” he said, referring to Hughes and Macgowan.
She responded: “No I am at home. And you guys need to keep it clean. Enough!!!”
He responded:
“Yeah true.”
During the defamation trial on Tuesday, Justice Lee then asked Mr Lehrmann to leave the courtroom while he discussed the relevance of the text messages which were not in dispute.
Dr Collins KC said that Mr Lehrmann “presented to a medical facility the following day, for which we have the records and said he was experiencing suicidal ideation, that he’d hardly slept for a week” and that part of the explanation for the condition he found himself was he had apparently taken cocaine.
As the hearing continued, Dr Collins asked him about text messages on his phone.
“Later that day, the 16th of February, did you present to the Royal North Shore?,’’ Dr Collins said.
“Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann responded.
In his account to medical staff, Mr Lehrmann said he was the subject of media attention and that on Monday morning he had been contacted by multiple journalists about the story.
“I would not have said the morning,’’ he said.
Dr Collins put to Mr Lehrmann he did say morning because he was referencing a contact from Channel 10’s Angus Llewllyn before the story went to air.
Mr Lehrmann rejected this and has previously said he did not see the emails from Channel 10 until after the story aired.
“I would have told them that the allegations were completely false and grossly defamatory,’’ he said.
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has previously revealed that he “spiralled” and turned to cocaine on the night The Project interview with Brittany Higgins aired telling mates “need bags.”
Earlier this year the Federal Court published messages between Mr Lehrmann and his ex-friend John Macgowan on the night the story broke.
Asked about the exchange by Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC on Monday, Mr Lehrmann agreed he was talking about cocaine.
“I was in a bad place,’’ Mr Lehrmann said.
“You decided to spend some time that night with some friends and that substance,’’ Dr Collins asked.
“Yes, Dr Collins. I spiralled pretty quickly,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
The barrister for Network Ten then asked if he asked for friends to bring drugs.
“Sorry. Your reaction to spiralling was to ask for cocaine to be … to have cocaine brought to you?”
Mr Lehrmann: “I was in a bad place. Yes.”
In another message, he texted former Liberal staffer John Macgowan.
“You said ‘Happy days’. That was a reference to cocaine being available,’’ Dr Collins asked.
“Probably,’’ Mr Lehrmann asked.
On the day the story broke, Mr Lehrmann received a text from a mate called Harry Hughes about the “pretty cooked allegation” that Brittany Higgins had been raped at Parliament House on the morning the story first broke, but insists he never knew the first story was about him.
Mr Lehrmann was cross examined on those texts in the Federal Court on Monday.
Another former Liberal staffer John Macgowan had also texted him to ask if he had any gossip on “who the Canberra rape guy is” but then later advised him not to “out” himself as the accused.
The Federal Court has heard on Monday of text messages sent to Mr Lehrmann by his former mates Harry Hughes, who is former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s nephew, and former Liberal strategist John Macgowan, who was giving him media advice.
“He’s a good friend of yours?’’ Dr Collins asked.
“Not anymore,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
Mr Hughes, who he has previously described in court as a close friend, had sent Mr Lehrmann a link to the news.com.au article titled “Parliament House Rocked By Brittany Higgins’ Alleged Rape” and asked, “Know this chick?”
Mr Lehrmann responded that he “worked with her briefly” and “(she) was at team drinks etc”.
At 11.17am, Mr Hughes texted Mr Lehrmann to say it was a “pretty cooked allegation” before asking if he knew “who the guy was”, to which Mr Lehrmann wrote: “Not the faintest idea. I haven’t been approached by anyone”.
About half an hour later, another friend former Liberal staffer John Macgowan texted Mr Lehrmann to ask if he had “any gossip on who the Canberra rape guy is’”.
He continued: “The yarn says ‘rising star’ so that rules out our mates but who else?”
Mr Lehrmann replied he had “no idea in the slightest” and that he hadn’t been approached.
Later in the conversation, Mr Lehrmann texted Mr Macgowan to say he assumes “it will fizzle”, to which Macgowan said: “She (Ms Higgins) is on the Project tonight.
Dr Collins indicated Mr Macgowan advised Mr Lehrmann “that that was the worst thing” he could do and said another friend with media experience said it was “a very bad idea”.
