Police are planning to dismiss the sexual assault allegation against former Liberal Party employee Bruce Lehrmann.
On Friday, Bruce Lehrmann, the chief prosecutor in the case against the man suspected of raping Brittany Higgins, will make an unexpected announcement regarding the case.
On Friday morning, Shane Drumgold, director of public prosecutions for the ACT, will make a brief media statement.
The DPP’s office informed the media in a letter that Mr. Drumgold would not be fielding inquiries on the subject on Thursday afternoon.
Accusations that Mr. Lehrmann sexually assaulted his former coworker at Linda Reynolds’ ministerial office at Parliament House after a night of drinking with coworkers in March 2019 are denied by Mr. Lehrmann.
He has entered a not guilty plea to engaging in sexual activity with her without her permission and disregarding her consent.
A week ago, it was announced that the ACT Supreme Court will convene a surprise secret hearing to discuss Mr. Lehrmann’s retrial. Now, there is a last-minute notification.
The presence of the media and their reporting on the application were prohibited throughout the hearing.
An accusation of jury misbehavior led to the first trial of Mr. Lehrmann being ruled a mistrial.
When an academic paper on the subject of sexual assault was found in the jury chamber, the jury was dismissed.
ACT Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum repeatedly urged the jury not to use other sources of information, yet it nevertheless happened.
Ms. McCallum disclosed the discovery of two further papers in written justifications that were eventually released. They were admitted by the same jury member.
It was planned for a fresh trial to start in February 2023.
More will follow.
»Police plan to dismiss sexual assault allegation against Bruce Lehrmann«