LIVE LIVE BLOG: Linda Reynolds v. Brittany Higgins defamation case - day eight By Charlotte Karp In Perth For Daily Mail Australia Published: 02:32, 13 August 2024 | Updated: 02:51, 13 August 2024 e-mail Advertisement Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins . 01:29 Scott Morrison to give evidence Former prime minister Scott Morrison will give evidence in the WA Supreme Court on Tuesday via video link.
Mr Morrison was the leader of the Coalition in 2019 when Ms Higgins, a Liberal staffer, was raped by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann inside Linda Reynolds' ministerial suite in Parliament House. Ms Reynolds was the defence industry minister at the time. The Coalition was still in government in February 2021, when Ms Higgins went public with her rape claims in an online News Corp article and a television interview on The Project.
Her claims were a disaster for the Liberal Party - Ms Reynolds was grilled over the situation for a week during Question Time, to the point where she had a complete breakdown and nearly died due to a heart condition - the court has heard. She was accused of trying to cover up the rape, failing to support Ms Higgins, and making her choose between going to the police and her political career. Ms Reynolds strongly denies those claims, but she didn't properly defend herself at the time because she didn't want to betray Ms Higgins' confidence.
She also didn't think a criminal allegation should be litigated under the protection of parliamentary privilege. In court last week, Ms Reynolds told the court she left the Senate on the final day of questioning and fell apart - her knees buckled, she had terrible chest pain, and Mr Morrison consoled her. (Pictured below: Linda Reynolds with Scott Morrison) A month later, in March 2021, it was revealed that Ms Reynolds called Ms Higgins a 'lying cow' in an open part of her office, in front of staff, while she watched The Project broadcast.
Ms Reynolds said she was referring to Ms Higgins' claims against her, rather than the rape itself. Mr Morrison condemned her comment and moved her out of the defence portfolio. On March 25, 2021, Mr Morrison appeared on A Current Affair and was grilled over Ms Higgins' rape claims by former host, Tracy Grimshaw.
That interview will be raised in court on Tuesday. About a year later, in February 2022, Mr Morrison stood up in Parliament House and apologised to Ms Higgins. At that time, Lehrmann had been charged with rape and was due to face trial two months later.
He said: 'I am sorry. We are sorry. I am sorry to Ms Higgins for the terrible things that took place here.
'The place that should have been a place for safety and contribution, turned out to be a nightmare. 'I am sorry for far more than that. All of those who came before Ms Higgins.
'And enjoyed the same, but she had the courage to speak, and so here we are.' Court will resume at 10.30am local time, 12.
30pm AEST. (Pictured below: Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, watching Scott Morrison's apology in 2022) 01:51 Who leaked Linda Reynolds' 'lying cow' comment to the media? First up on the witness stand on Tuesday is Linda Reynolds' former press secretary, Nicky Hamer. Last week, Ms Reynolds told the WA Supreme Court that she initially believed Ms Hamer was the person who leaked her 'lying cow' comment about Ms Higgins to the media.
Ms Hamer gave evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's 2022 criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court, and in his defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson in the Federal Court last year. She has never been asked about the 'lying cow' comment in a court. During the 2022 trial, Ms Reynolds texted Lehrmann's defence barrister Steven Whybrow SC and said: 'If you have messages between Brittany and Nicky , they may be revealing .
' Ms Reynolds was a witness for the prosecution at the time and had not yet given evidence, which meant she was not allowed to watch or engage with court proceedings. Last week, she told the court the text to Mr Whybrow was purely because she knew Ms Hamer was with Brittany Higgins and Lehrmann on the night of the assault and simply believed she might have texts of interest. She denied trying to help the defence.
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