Bruce Lehrmann appeared flustered on the second day of his defamation trial

It was only around 2:30 p.m., on the second day of the defamation proceedings, that, for the first time under oath, Bruce Lehrmann was challenged on his version of the events of the night he claimed to have raped Brittany Higgins.

He had spent Wednesday afternoon and much of Thursday being questioned by his own lawyer, Steven Whybrow SC, in the Federal Court about what happened at Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2021.

Mr Lehrmann has continually denied assaulting Ms Higgins and is now suing Lisa Wilkinson and Channel 10 for broadcasting his allegations on The Project on February 15, 2021.

He was not named in the show, but friends and former colleagues could have identified him as the alleged rapist.

The former staffer confidently told the court on Thursday that he returned to Parliament that evening to collect his keys, and maintained that he and Ms Higgins went in opposite directions once they entered the ministerial suite by Linda Reynolds.

He appeared calm and collected throughout Thursday, but his confidence appeared to waver during cross-examination by Ten’s lawyer, Matthew Collins KC.

Mr Lehrmann had a few difficult moments – he had never been questioned in court about it before – and appeared slightly red-faced on the stand.

He was cross-examined only once in March this year, when he applied to continue the defamation case after the normal one-year deadline.

He was asked several times if he remembered specific conversations he had with former colleagues more than four years ago, and he repeatedly responded, “Dr. Collins, I don’t remember.” don’t remember.”

Dr Collins informed Mr Lehrmann that he had told two other members of staff that he found Ms Higgins attractive.

“You said to Ms Hamer in Mr Watten’s presence ‘send him a message’,” Dr Collins said.

“That is, send her a message and see if she’s free to come to the pub.”

Mr Lehrmann replied: “I don’t remember that happening.”

Mr Lehrmann told the court he had lost friends because of The Project, had been to a mental health clinic and his life had “completely taken a turn for the worse”.

Asked about the impact the Project episode had on his life, Mr Lehrmann told the court: “The Project completely destroyed me.”

“Everything stems from it: the loss of friends, the loss of finances, parts of my family not bothering to contact me.”

Mr Lehrmann told the court he was “kicked out” of Facebook group chats in the week of February 15, 2021 – when The Project interview aired.

When he was not on the stand, he sat in the front row at the far end of the courtroom and watched intently.

Apart from the witness and the lawyer, all that could be heard in the courtroom was furious banging on the keyboards.

Wilkinson, on the other hand, turned heads again when she showed up for a second day, having largely avoided the limelight since her Logies acceptance speech last year.

She returned to her seat in the front row, at the opposite end of Mr. Lehrmann’s podium, and appeared unfazed as that same speech was played in court.

During that televised speech, she defiantly praised Ms Higgins for going public with her allegations and for “never giving up”.

She was later criticized by the ACT Chief Justice, who feared jurors would watch the case and harm the trial.

At the time, in June 2022, the criminal trial was just days away. It was then postponed to October.

But no one would have known all that based solely on Wilkinson’s reactions in court Thursday.

The TV host occasionally opened her black book to take notes, before closing it and paying close attention to the proceedings.

Outside the courtroom, Wilkinson was all smiles as she walked alongside barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC and Dr Collins.

The trial continues tomorrow.