Brittany Higgins blows up at a Sky News TV reporter covering Bruce Lehrmann’s drunken texts to his girlfriend: ‘Come on … just keep cherry-picking away’
- Brittany Higgins has slammed a Sky News journalist
- She thought defamation coverage was ‘cherry picking’
Brittany Higgins has publicly criticised a Sky News Australia journalist for her coverage of Bruce Lehrmann‘s defamation lawsuit against two media giants.
On Thursday the former Liberal staffer appeared in court as he sues Channel 10 and news.com.au for defamation over their March 2021 report where Ms Higgins alleged an unnamed man – Lehrmann – had raped her in Parliament House in 2019.
Senior Sky News reporter and commentator Caroline Marcus shared a link to her coverage of the court case on Twitter on Thursday night.
She wrote: ‘Bruce Lehrmann tells court he was ”outraged” by Brittany Higgins’, The Project and news.com.au interviews and wanted to ‘fight back’ against the media.
‘Told his then girlfriend he was ”a pawn” in a ”bigger political hatchet job”.’
Ms Higgins took issue with Ms Marcus’ emphasis on Mr Lehrmann’s allegations of a ‘political hatchet job’, responding to the tweet with a reminder that News Corp – Sky’s parent company – is part of the lawsuit.
Bruce Lehrmann is pictured outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday alongside Caroline Marcus, who was reporting for Sky News (both above)
She said: ‘You realise NewsCorp is being sued as well? By your own assertion it means your own organisation was a part of this ‘political hatchet job’.
‘Also, I was a Liberal staffer and my partner worked at Sky News. I literally don’t understand this whole narrative.’
Ms Marcus responded in what quickly became a tit-for-tat, telling Ms Higgins ‘these are not my assertions but a report of court proceedings and what was said on the stand’.
By this point, Ms Higgins’ initial response had amassed hundreds of ‘likes’ and comments of support.
Ms Higgins hit back: ‘Come on. Let’s just reflect at your ongoing framing of this case in tweets since the criminal case.
‘Keep cherry picking away but know that the NewsCorp lawyers have filed a truth defence.’
Ms Marcus responded: ‘Er yes, I’ve been reporting that all day’, to which Ms Higgins ignored.
Bruce Lehrmann (pictured, centre, on Thursday) was not named in the Channel 10 broadcast or news.com.au article, but his statement of claim argues his identity would have been known in political circles
The comments Ms Marcus was referring to in her tweet were made by Mr Lehrmann to his then-girlfriend, Greta Sinclair.
Ms Sinclair was distraught over the extraordinary televised accusations.
He told the court on Thursday that he placated her by suggesting his lawyer had told him that he was a ‘pawn’ and ‘part of a bigger political hatchet job’.
During cross-examination, Mr Lehrmann admitted to Ten’s lawyer Matthew Collins KC that his lawyer, Warwick Korn never said that, and that he made it up to comfort her.
Mr Lehrmann was not named in the Channel 10 broadcast or news.com.au article, but his statement of claim argues his identity would have been known in political circles.
Ms Higgins took issue with Ms Marcus’ emphasis on Mr Lehrmann’s allegations of a ‘political hatchet job’, responding to the tweet with a reminder that News Corp – Sky’s parent company – is part of the lawsuit
The interlocutory hearing on Thursday was about why it took him two years to file the defamation lawsuit.
Applicants normally have 12 months after publication to file a defamation case, but Mr Lehrmann’s case was filed two years later.
His lawyers argued that it was unreasonable for him to launch the case any earlier.
Meanwhile, barristers for the broadcaster and news website argued he should not be allowed to sue for defamation because it was reasonable for him to have filed the lawsuit within the first year.
The hearing was adjourned until Thursday, March 23.
Ms Marcus responded in what quickly became a tit-for-tat, telling Ms Higgins ‘these are not my assertions but a report of court proceedings and what was said on the stand’