Brittany Higgins: Jury in impasse in trial of accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann
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The jury within the rape trial of Brittany Higgins’ alleged assailant Bruce Lehrmann wrote the choose a letter saying they might not attain a unanimous verdict.
A gaggle of eight girls and 4 males mentioned for 5 days within the ACT Supreme Court docket to find out whether or not Mr. Lehrmann was responsible of sexual activity with out consent and with out her consent.
Round midday WA time on Tuesday, jurors despatched Chief Justice Lucy McCallum a observe saying they “could not agree” on a unanimous verdict.
Justice McCallum requested the jury to retire once more to see if they might attain a verdict.
“I’ve the best to fireside you however I ought to solely accomplish that if I’m happy after inspecting a number of of you that you’re not prone to agree,” she mentioned.
“Expertise exhibits that juries can typically agree in the long run if they’ve extra time to contemplate the proof.”
The jury has since concluded deliberations for the day, asking the court docket to ship them residence and “come again in good spirits” on Wednesday.
Justice McCallum thanked them for his or her continued laborious work throughout the trial and requested them to attempt to loosen up Tuesday afternoon by exercising or strolling the canine.
“Take a second to relaxation after this arduous job you face,” she says.
Ms Higgins alleges the previous Liberal employees member sexually assaulted her within the parliamentary workplace of then protection trade minister Linda Reynolds on 23 March 2019, after a drunken night time in Canberra .
Mr. Lehrmann pleaded not responsible.
In closing arguments, Prosecutor Shane Drumgold urged the jury to drop discussions about political actions and office tradition attributable to the case.
He mentioned the incident was not concerning the tradition inside Parliament Home or the Me Too motion however about what occurred on a bench contained in the minister’s workplace within the early hours of March 23, 2019.
Mr Drumgold mentioned Ms Higgins was an trustworthy and reliable witness whose model of occasions that night time didn’t waver.
In the meantime, he mentioned Mr Lehrmann had given inconsistent accounts of why he was in parliament on the night time of allegedly assaulting safety officers, his boss and the police.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Lehrmann’s goal was to go to the Homes of Parliament so he may very well be alone with the “drunk” and “weak” Higgins.
Mr Lehrmann’s protection lawyer, Steven Whybrow, advised the court docket nothing occurred that night time and alleges Ms Higgins fabricated her account to save lots of her job.
He mentioned a more in-depth take a look at her proof made the prosecution’s case towards his shopper “completely unsolvable”.
Mr Whybrow pointed to inconsistencies in Ms Higgins’ story, together with that she had advised police and others that she had attended physician’s appointments after the alleged assault.
He urged Ms Higgins fabricated physician’s appointments on the time to “make it extra credible” that she had been sexually assaulted.
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