Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann, who was found by a Federal Court to have raped one-time colleague Brittany Higgins, has been accused of stealing a car.
Lehrmann appeared by phone in Hobart Magistrates Court on Monday morning, with the matter adjourned without plea.
It is alleged the 29-year-old stole a Toyota Prado from Mountain River, a rural area southwest of Hobart, on November 20.
Lehrmann’s lawyer Zali Burrows, who also appeared by phone, requested an adjournment so she could make representations on the charge.
Lehrmann, who the court was unable to initially contact by phone, will re-appear on June 19.
According to court documents, the charge of motor vehicle stealing was brought against Lehrmann by Gail Denise Oates.
Lehrmann’s trial for allegedly raping Ms Higgins in 2019 Canberra’s parliament house was abandoned in October 2022 because of juror misconduct.
A retrial did not occurred because of concerns for Ms Higgins’ mental health.
Lehrmann, who has maintained his innocence, sued media outlets for defamation in civil action in the Federal Court, which ultimately found he had raped Ms Higgins.
He is appealing the Federal Court decision.
Who can be trusted?
In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.
If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.
Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.
Thank you,
Ian Meikle, editor
Leave a Reply