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- Watch the hearing live here from 10.15am (AEDT)
Former Network Ten presenter Lisa Wilkinson returns to the witness box on Friday in Bruce Lehrmann’s high-stakes defamation case after a tense day of testimony during which she defended her reporting of Brittany Higgins’ sexual assault allegation.
Wilkinson started giving evidence on Thursday in the Federal Court defamation suit brought against her and Ten by Lehrmann over her interview with his former colleague Higgins, broadcast on The Project on February 15, 2021.
Lisa Wilkinson arrives at court on Thursday.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Lehrmann alleges Ten and Wilkinson defamed him by suggesting he was guilty of raping Higgins in March 2019 in the office of their boss, Liberal senator and then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds. He has always maintained his innocence.
Transcript of meeting
Late on Thursday, the court released a transcript of a five-hour recorded conversation between Wilkinson, Ten producer Angus Llewellyn, Higgins and her partner David Sharaz in early 2021, when Ten was researching Higgins’ claims.
During the conversation, Llewellyn asked Higgins if she considered contacting the police in the immediate aftermath of the alleged assault.
She replied: “No. I was, I was too scared. On the basis of who it was, on the basis of where I worked, I knew the moment I went to the police it would be a media story. I was always very cognisant of the fact that the moment this was reported, this will be a story.
“Not because of me, not because of Bruce, but on the basis of a) where it happened and b) who I worked for. And I was always hyper-conscious of the media commodification of my story and I was scared of it”.
Former federal Liberal political staffer Bruce Lehrmann leaves the Federal Court in Sydney.Credit: James Brickwood.
Llewellyn replied: “That’s the most understandable thing in the world because you know how it works.”
During the conversation, Higgins said that “it sounds corny but this [was] … my dream job. I used to watch West Wing. I saw me in [the fictional White House press secretary] C.J. Cregg”.
Wilkinson said later: “I’m a girl from the western suburbs of Sydney, I’ll always be motivated by exactly the same thing. People who deserve to be heard, not being heard.”
She asked Higgins: “Are you feeling comfortable with us? As a safe place to tell your story?”
“Very much so,” Higgins said.
“Because that’s really important,” Wilkinson replied.
Cross-examination continues
Lehrmann’s barrister, Matthew Richardson, SC, is expected to complete his cross-examination of Wilkinson on Friday before her own barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, conducts any re-examination that is required.
The trial, originally slated to finish by Friday, will continue next week.
Sexual assault charge dropped
Lehrmann’s ACT Supreme Court trial for sexual assault was aborted last year due to juror misconduct. The charge against Lehrmann was later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins’ mental health.
Lehrmann not named
Lehrmann was not named in Ten’s interview and a preliminary issue in the case is whether he was identified via other means.
If the court finds Lehrmann was identified in the interview, Ten and Wilkinson are seeking to rely on defences of truth and qualified privilege. Qualified privilege relates to publications of public interest and requires a media outlet to show it acted reasonably. Wilkinson’s evidence is directly relevant to that defence.
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