Former Liberal Party staffer, Bruce Lehrmann will be put on trial over the alleged rape of a woman in Toowoomba in 2021. Details of the allegations were aired in open court for the first time.
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00:00This is the nightclub. Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrman is said to have met a woman
00:07now at the centre of two rape accusations against him. Fresh details about the allegations
00:13have been revealed. The court heard the pair met on a night out in October 2021. The prosecutor
00:19said they had consensual sex once before the complainant fell asleep. It's alleged she
00:25woke up to Mr Lehrman having sex with her.
00:28He kept having sex with me while I just lay there, she told police in a statement. I was
00:33in shock. None of my actions were indicating I was consenting.
00:37Seven weeks later, the female complainant saw a news report about the rape allegations
00:42made by Brittany Higgins in Canberra against Mr Lehrman. She then made a formal complaint
00:47to police. He was charged in December 2022 with two counts of rape.
00:53A Toowoomba Magistrate has now ruled there is sufficient evidence for Mr Lehrman to be
00:57put on trial in the District Court on those charges.
01:01Your client has been committed to stand trial in the District Court. Does he have anything
01:04to say this morning?
01:07There's a prohibition about talking to the media about such matters, but that's correct,
01:12he's been committed to stand trial.
01:13Defence lawyers for Mr Lehrman argued there was no case for their client to answer, saying
01:18the woman's evidence was inconsistent, and in a text to friends the following day, she
01:23described the night out as a bunch of fun with my friends. Prosecutors say she was still
01:29coming to terms with what happened.
01:31Mr Lehrman did not appear in person today, instead dialing into the hearing by phone.
01:37When asked whether he had anything he wanted to say after being committed, he opted not
01:41to comment.
01:43It's understood he intends to plead not guilty to the charges. The next court date is yet
01:47to be set.