Following a dramatic day of testimony, prosecutors will today conclude their case against the former Liberal party employee accused of raping Brittany Higgins.
In the early hours of March 23, 2019, Ms. Higgins alleges that her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann sexually assaulted her in the legislative office of former defense minister Linda Reynolds.
He is being prosecuted in the ACT Supreme Court on one count of engaging in sexual activity without permission and has entered a not guilty plea.
During a dramatic court session on Monday, Senator Reynolds was brought to the witness stand and accused of attempting to influence the outcome of the case by asking Lehrmann’s defense attorney for a copy of Ms. Higgins’ transcript of testimony.
At 4:27 p.m. on October 6, according to prosecutor Shane Drumgold, Ms. Reynolds sent the first message to the defense’s Steven Whybrow.
In the ACT Supreme Court trial, Senator Linda Reynolds was summoned as a witness for the prosecution but confessed to texting a defense attorney during Ms Higgins’ cross-examination.
Hello, do you have the daily transcripts? read the message. If so, may you offer to be my attorney? ‘
A minute later, she texted again, adding, “Also, if you have text exchanges between Brittany and Nicky, they could be revealing.”
Nicole Hamar, who was invited to testify last week, is referred to as “Nicky.”
When Ms Reynolds was questioned by the prosecution after being brought as a witness, she acknowledged texting the defense attorney.
She informed the court that she had no intention of assisting her former employee during the cross-examination, but was only “interested” about what had been stated.
Senator Reynolds said she did not acquire a transcript despite receiving advice from her attorney that it was “inappropriate” to do so.
A message exchange between Ms. Higgins and Ms. Hamar, according to the former defense minister, may “shine some light” on the accusations.
Senator Reynolds, according to Mr. Drumgold, may have political ties to the situation.
He argued to Senator Reynolds that if she had been driven to try to meddle when an election was not imminent, her main worry at the time Ms. Higgins first brought up the issue in 2019 would have been the upcoming election.
‘Definitely not. Senator Reynolds said, “I definitely and completely refute that statement.”
She was questioned about her boyfriend’s presence in the courtroom during the first week of the trial and said that he never informed her of what was going on there.
When she visited with Ms. Higgins approximately a week after the alleged rape, Senator Reynolds also denied knowing specifics of her accusations.
She said that at the time, she was merely aware of the security lapse brought on by Lehrmann and Ms. Higgins’ after-hours access to the ministerial suite.
During the discussion, which took place in the office Ms. Higgins claims she was assaulted in, she also remembered Ms. Higgins claiming she “couldn’t remember what occurred.”
She claimed to have dressed after waking up the next morning. She started to get a bit more upset at that time, and I realized I shouldn’t be speaking,’ Senator Reynolds told the court.
If she’s upset and getting dressed, she probably won’t remember what occurred, therefore I’m not the right person to be having this talk, I told her.
“I advised to her that she may better have this chat with someone more competent,” she said, “since I knew we had (Australian Federal Police agent) in the building.”
When asked what she knew about Ms Higgins’ allegations in the weeks after, Ms Reynolds told the court that she first became aware of the majority of them on February 15, 2019, the day The Project and News Corp published articles on the alleged rape.
Earlier on Monday, Ms. Higgins’ former supervisor, Senator Michaelia Cash, said the court that Ms. Reynolds’ office had been contacted by the media about Ms. Higgins in October 2019.
Ms. Higgins had worked for both legislators that year, initially as an assistant media advisor for Ms. Reynolds and afterwards as Ms. Cash’s office.
The court was informed by Ms Cash that Ms Higgins was worried the security breach would be made public because the Canberra Times reporter who was conducting the probe.
She felt humiliated since it included her and a security problem, according to Ms. Cash.
After drinking, she and another employee went back to the workplace. They could have been under the influence.
“Ms. Higgins slept out on the sofa, and I think security discovered her the next day.”
Prior to February 5, 2021, Ms. Cash said she was unaware of any complaints of sexual assault.