Bruce Lehrmann has emerged pale-faced from court after losing his defamation case against Channel Ten.
Justice Michael Lee on Tuesday ruled that Lerhmann had raped Brittany Higgins, saying he been ‘hellbent’ on having sex with his former colleague.
The 28-year-old stood when the Justice Lee adjourned the matter, kept his head down, and charged from the court at the first opportunity.
Lehrmann was flanked by his legal team as he left NSW’s Federal Court and made efforts to avoid a waiting throng of reporters and cameramen.
He remained stoney-faced and silent as he was followed down the street with one cameraman seen falling over onto the pavement amid the chaos.
Moment earlier Lee found that Lehrmann was ‘indifferent’ to whether drunk Ms Higgins consented or not before he raped her on a senator’s couch at Parliament House in March 2019.
Pale-faced Bruce Lehrmann has emerged from court after Justice Michael Lee ruled he had raped Ms Higgins on the balance of probabilities (pictured)
Bruce Lehrmann remained silent as he left NSW’s Federal Court on Monday
The 28-year-old was flanked by his legal team as he left NSW’s Federal Court and made efforts to avoid a waiting throng of reporters and cameramen (pictured)
Bruce Lehrmann remained stoney-faced and silent as he was followed down the street with one cameraman seen falling over onto the pavement amid the chaos (pictured)
The findings were delivered on Monday as Justice Lee handed down his judgment in Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
‘Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins,’ he said of the infamous night in March 2019.
While there was no evidence Lehrmann knew that Ms Higgins did not consent to the sexual activity, he was recklessly indifferent to her rights and was ‘hellbent’ on having sex, the judge said.
Earlier on Monday, Justice Lee slammed Lehrmann as being an unreliable, dishonest witness.
‘Mr Lehrmann has no compunction from departing from the truth if he thought it was expedient,’ the judge said.
‘I am satisfied that in important respects, he told deliberate lies.’
The 28-year-old was suing Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over a February 2021 report on The Project in which Brittany Higgins claimed he raped her in a Parliament House office almost two years prior.
Justice Lee described both Lehrmann and Ms Higgins as ‘unreliable historians’ when recounting what occurred on that fateful night.
Brittany Higgins is seen at ACT Supreme Court in Canberra in 2022
Bruce Lehrmann sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson (right) for defamation over a February 2021 report on The Project in which Brittany Higgins claimed he raped her
Lisa Wilkinson and lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC grin as they leave court on Monday just moments after Justice Michael Lee found Ten’s defence of truth to have been successful
The judge said Ms Higgins had been loose with the truth regarding allegations made to Ten in 2021 that members of the Coalition government at the time had sought to silence her in reporting the alleged rape.
‘The cover-up allegation was objectively short on facts but long on speculation,’ he said.
But Justice Lee found that any incorrect statements made to the police in 2019 were not inconsistent with remarks being made by a ‘genuine victim of sexual assault’.
Justice Lee said that Lehrmann was identified by Ten’s report, despite denials from the network.
The ex-Liberal staffer claims his reputation was ruined and is seeking significant damages.
Ten has defended its reporting, saying claims in the interview were true and in the public interest as they involved alleged sexual abuse in Parliament House.
Justice Lee considered whether or not, on the balance of probabilities, the alleged sexual assault occurred in the office of their then-boss, Senator Linda Reynolds.
Lehrmann denies the sexual assault allegation and a criminal case was dropped in 2022, with no findings made against him.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
LIVEREAD MORE: Follow Daily Mail ‘s live coverage of Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case
Bruce Lehrmann has lost a defamation trial against Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10