Bruce Lehrmann breaks his silence as he faces Queensland court for his second rape trial
Follow Daily Mail Australia's coverage of Bruce Lehrmann's committal hearing. He is charged with two counts of rape.
22:43
Lehrmann wades through media pack, joking: 'Where's Peter Costello when you need him?'
Bruce Lehrmann arrived in court on Monday morning to a waiting media pack, and wearing a Burberry tie.
Flanked by his lawyer Rowan King, he ploughed through the cameras and quipped: 'Where is Peter Costello when you need him?'
Lehrmann was referring to an incident earlier in June when the former federal treasurer and Nine chairman was filmed knocking over a journalist at Canberra Airport.
23:11
'It's not exactly the Federal Court, is it?' Lehrmann jokes
Bruce Lehrmann walked into courtroom two on Monday morning, which was packed beyond capacity with journalists - some of whom were standing.
'It's not exactly the Federal Court, is it?' he joked, referring to his defamation case which was heard in the Federal Court in Sydney.
'Might as well upgrade it to the Supreme Court now.'
His lawyer Rowan King remarked: 'The Supreme Court wouldn't touch this.'
The matter was adjourned for five minutes while the defence reviewed an application.
21:00
Bruce Lehrmann touches down in Brisbane
Bruce Lehrmann touched down at Brisbane on Sunday afternoon ahead of his rape case on Monday.
It was for the first time he was pictured in public since his crushing defamation defeat in April, when a Federal Court judge found on a civil scale that he had raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
Upon arriving at Brisbane Airport with a small wheelie suitcase, and sporting RM Williams hat and boots, he was greeted by his lawyer Rowan King.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/16/12/86181519-0-image-a-14_1718537691807.jpg)
20:50
Bruce Lehrmann to appear in court
Bruce Lehrmann will appear in Toowoomba Magistrate's court at 9am on Monday over allegations that he raped a woman, 29, in October 2021.
He met the woman at a local strip club called 'The Vault', before the pair went back to his friend's house.
She alleges they were fully clothed in bed, they kissed and she told him to put a condom on. She then alleges that she woke up to find him having sex with her.
The woman also alleges that she woke up the following morning to find him having sex with her again, and told him to stop. She alleges she felt groggy when they had sex a third time.
He allegedly wasn't wearing a condom and they went to a pharmacy to buy the morning-after pill, and the went to McDonald's on the way home.
Lehrmann was charged with two counts of rape in January 2023.
The alleged victim will be cross-examined during the committal hearing on Monday, which was set to determine whether there is enough evidence to commit the matter to trial.
If it is committed and Lehrmann pleads not guilty, the case will go to trial.
Monday will mark the first time Lehrmann appears in court for this matter.
After he was charged, Lehrmann was known only as a 'high profile man' in media reports about the allegations.
However, his identity was revealed after Queensland legislation was modified to allow people accused of sexual offences to be identified before being committed to stand trial.
After the law changed, the former political staffer lost his subsequent bid to seek a non-publication order to continue to protect his identity.
Two months before he met the Toowoomba woman in 2021, had been charged with sexually assaulting his former colleague Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra in 2019.
-
'It's not exactly the Federal Court, is it?' Lehrmann jokes
-
Lehrmann wades through media pack, joking: 'Where's Peter Costello when you need him?'
-
Bruce Lehrmann to appear in court
TOP STORIES
- 'Inhumane is all I can say!' Witness tells of his 'disgust' at seeing police ram terrified calf with their squad car - as calls grow for 'monsters' to be sacked and new video shows the animal calmly wandering down London street before officers swooped
- Aristotle Onassis forced Jackie Kennedy to have sex in wild public locations - and their 170-clause marriage contract dictated the precise number of times she had to endure it, MAUREEN CALLAHAN reveals
- How the Trooping the Colour Buckingham Palace balcony appearance has changed over time due to King Charles's slimmed-down monarchy
- Gordon Ramsay, 57, shows off horrific injuries from 'really bad' cycling accident and reveals his helmet saved his life
- Nigel Farage predicts there will be 'warfare within the Conservative Party within a week' following Reform's rapid rise above the Tories and Rishi Sunak's faltering campaign
- Kate and Wills' look of love: Body language expert reveals how royal couple's romantic balcony moment revealed the truth about their relationship
- Lip reader reveals adorable remark George made to Princess Kate during state carriage procession
- Kate's back behind the camera! Brave princess releases touching Father's Day photo of William and their children with sweet 'we love you, Papa!' message - a day after attending Trooping the Colour amid her cancer battle
- Scourge of football hooliganism makes shameful return to the Euros as English punters clash with Serbians in street brawl hours before game - as fans are left bloody in punch-ups with mob in German city
- Kate's masterclass in turning an old dress into a showstopper! ALICE HARE gives The Firm her fashion verdict
- Boy, 8, is fighting for his life after being shot in the head by rampaging gunman at popular water park that left eight injured: Cornered killer, 42, who lived with his mom takes his own life
- Biden FREEZES at star-studded fundraiser before Obama comes to his rescue and pulls him off stage
- Plane is delayed for an hour after child refused to buckle his seat belt, with furious passengers screaming for youngster to be thrown off
- Unearthed claim about JFK and Bobby Kennedy's involvement in Marilyn Monroe's death... and all the signs it wasn't a suicide, revealed by MAUREEN CALLAHAN: 'I know who killed her'
- Bill Maher snaps at Charlamagne Tha God after radio host drops controversial race comment
- The pictures Britain has been longing to see: Frame-by-frame, the glorious images of Kate as she makes her return to public life as she continues her brave battle against cancer
- Americans sick of the 'cultural revolution' under Joe Biden are setting up incredible off-grid city in the DESERT hundreds of miles away from civilization with their own government and courts... and offer chilling prediction for the future of the country
- Internet divided over bikini barista's shocking act of revenge after wild moment customer throws drinks at her
- All the best videos from Trooping the Colour: Kate's great comeback, glimpses behind the scenes and Charlotte and Louis acting up
- Instant karma's going to get you - watch the five best moments of cosmic payback in action
- Brave Kate is a beacon of light in new behind-the-scenes Trooping the Colour video - as Waleses reveal they are 'in awe' at 'incredible' ceremony that included Princess' Buckingham Palace balcony appearance
- Overcast skies, chilly breezes and not a beach towel in sight - the 'great' British summer is here but brighter days are set for July
- Revealed: What Louis said to William on the balcony as the Red Arrows flew over - and King Charles' real verdict on his big day
- Andrew Findlay's body was found washed up on rocks in one of Sydney's ritziest suburbs after a boating accident. Now there's been a sad development
- REVEALED: The three Bridgerton romances that are blossoming off screen
- Marco Pierre White's convict son is busted stealing £250 from café after smashing his way into deli in early hours raid - before his trousers fall down as he crawls through window, revealing his identifiable tattoos
- Jackie Kennedy's own excruciating injury from JFK's assassination that she never recovered from... and all the other stunning revelations from MAUREEN CALLAHAN's new book
- Inside the US town being sued for racism by its white people... because it's paying its black residents $25,000 each for the legacy of slavery
- Our newbuild nightmare! Couple say moving into brand-new £419,000 home that is 'riddled with mould' is 'the biggest regret of our lives'
- Dozens of firefighters tackle raging inferno inside flat in London tower block - as four people are rushed to hospital
- Dramatic moment armed German police close in on axeman near Euro 2024 fan zone in Hamburg before shooting him after he made firebomb threat just hours before Netherlands clash with Poland
- Princess Diana's brother goes on theatre date with Norwegian archaeologist Cat Jarman - after revealing 'immensely sad' divorce from third wife who he met on blind date
- Police driver who rammed terrified calf called Beau Lucy with squad car is suspended amid backlash - as cow's owners fear animal which escaped fenced moor then 'swam across river' could die
- Popular Woolworths meal Indya Foods Ashoka Palak Paneer pulled from shelves over allergen fear
- Two die in Europe as 'record-breaking' 40C heatwave roasts holiday spots across the Continent including Greece, Cyprus and Turkey - while Britain endures June washout and unseasonably low temperatures
- Anne is praised as 'outstanding horsewoman' after Princess Royal managed to keep control of her horse during Trooping the Colour
- Sea World chopper pilot dubbed a 'hero' for safely landing his helicopter after mid-air collision has died
- Escape to the oven!: British holidaymakers seeking the sun in top summer spots like Greece, Cyprus and Turkey are warned they will face 'record breaking temperatures' due to unseasonable heatwave
- Michael William Nash, 42, is identified as gunman who injured nine people at Rochester Hills splash pad
- Kate Middleton is seen in public for first time since cancer diagnosis: Smiling Princess of Wales is joined by her three children in horse-drawn carriage down the Mall as cheering fans show their support
- Hundreds of Majorcans take over tiny picture postcard cove made famous by Instagram 'influencers' and unfurl banners reading 'SOS Residents' amid Spanish island's anti-tourism backlash against UK holidaymakers
- Wealthy beach lovers left devastated as they're forced to slash price of luxury seaside homes by MILLIONS: 'It's unbelievable'
- JFK took the virginity of a 19-year-old White House intern in Jackie Kennedy's bed, before engaging in an 18-month affair that ended with his assassination
- Angie Harmon's 18-year-old daughter is set free from jail after making unusual promise to judge
- 'New Nostradamus' names date World War 3 will start - and it's just days away
- Inside Indonesian Dani tribe where women amputate their fingers to mourn loved ones after death, mothers 'bite off the tips of their babies' fingers' and men with sheathed penises guard 250-year-old mummy
- Inside Jackie Kennedy's years-long affair with JFK's married brother Bobby
- You've bin shamed! Council's 'petty' recycling scheme starts putting public notices on rubbish bins if families fill it with the wrong refuse
- England 1-0 Serbia: Gareth Southgate's side take the points in nervy opening game with Jude Bellingham's crashing header enough to send fans celebrating into the night
- Huge breakthrough in murder of Maryland mom Rachel Morin as cops finally arrest ILLEGAL migrant seen in haunting doorbell footage TEN MONTHS after her body was found naked and beaten on a remote hiking trail
- CNN unveils Trump v. Biden debate rules... and one regulation appears to target the ex-president
- The major Samantha Murphy questions that still remain unanswered - as search for her body reaches heartbreaking milestone
- America's secret Tuscany is being ruined for wealthy wine-quaffing retirees by boozy bachelorette takeover: 'They'll dance on the countertop and then throw up outside'
READ MORE: Bruce Lehrmann touches down in Brisbane hours before facing court over allegations he raped a woman, 29, he met in a strip club
READ MORE: The mystery of 'Lady Gaenor': Why Australia's rich and famous can't stop gossiping about landlady at war with Bruce Lehrmann - as rumours fly about noblewoman claims
READ MORE: 'Back into the lion's den': Bruce Lehrmann lodges an appeal against his devastating defamation trial loss