By Aaron Bunch in Perth

Four gin and tonics, a taxi ride and the minister’s couch: details about Brittany Higgins’ night out with friends before Bruce Lehrmann allegedly raped her have emerged at a defamation trial.

Senator Linda Reynolds is suing her former staffer Ms Higgins – who is defending the claim – over a series of social media posts containing alleged mistruths that she believes damaged her reputation.

The senator’s lawyer Martin Bennett on Thursday read the notes from an off-the-record meeting between Ms Higgins and two Australian Federal Police officers in the days after the incident on March 23, 2019.

“Friday drinks, a group of colleagues … Bruce … arrived at The Dock, drank, about four gin and tonics,” Mr Bennett told the West Australian Supreme Court, as he read the document

“Left about 2230 hours. Few of us left. Met with date. Didn’t get along. Tinder, Bumble. Date bought maybe two drinks.

“A group of four. We went into the city … Considered Bruce a friend. Things get a little hazy. I feel like we did have a few drinks but maybe, can’t remember … former colleague Lauren, Dutton’s advisor, Austin, Bruce.”

Mr Bennett continued, saying Ms Higgins told the officers she gave Lehrmann her address and caught a taxi.

“I couldn’t write my name. I gave a version of my signature, don’t remember getting up to the suite. I remember being on the minister’s couch,” he read.

“Remember Bruce being on top of me … I said something like ‘no don’t’. He left and I just stayed there.

“When I woke up it was morning … I was thinking why am I here … I felt grossed out as I could smell what had happened on me. Went into the minister’s bathroom, used her deodorant, got sick, I borrowed a jacket from a goodwill box. I saw stains all over my shirt, top, dress, dark stains. I then called an Uber.”

According to the notes, Ms Higgins declined to make an official complaint to police about Lehrmann and she’d had a “cordial dealing” with Senator Reynolds over the incident.

“Chief of staff received a report from the (prime minister’s) office for accessing the ministerial suite. This incident was a factor in Bruce’s termination. Went to the Phillip Medical Centre to get a test done, no results.,” Mr Bennett read from the police notes.

“Support service will be provided to Brittany.”

Lehrmann has always denied the rape allegation and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.

Former Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Leanne Close told the court she met with Senator Reynolds on April 4 and was shocked to find herself sitting in the same office where Ms Higgins was allegedly raped.

“We were talking about the allegation of sexual assault and Senator Reynolds pointed to the lounge in her office and said that that’s where the assault had occurred,” she said.

“I was quite surprised and taken aback because I actually did not realise at that point we were talking about an allegation of sexual assault in her office.

“I have wrongfully assumed it was in the outer office area.”

Ms Close said she immediately became concerned.

“I was thinking, we’re sitting in the middle of a potential crime scene that hasn’t been forensically examined and I also was concerned about the security implications of two people being in the senator’s office having sex on a couch,” she said.

“I was concerned because I had been told … they were intoxicated, so I didn’t understand … how they obtained access after hours.”

Ms Close said that in addition to her security concerns, she was also worried about Ms Higgins.

“The implications of a young woman on the couch being found by … security personnel and the fact that they didn’t call the AFP immediately … or even to call an ambulance, check her welfare that she was OK,” she said.

The trial continues.