Lehrmann could face trial after judge calls out delays

A judge has warned political staffer Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer and a prosecutor against further delays as his rape trial was pencilled in for next year.

Lehrmann, 31, had been due to stand trial in Toowoomba from Monday, accused of twice raping a woman at a house in regional Queensland in 2021.

The date was abandoned in late October after Lehrmann’s solicitor Zali Burrows told Brisbane District Court Judge David Kent her client had been unable to secure a barrister to represent him at trial.

On Monday, Judge Dennis Lynch in Toowoomba District Court said he would set a provisional trial start date of July 26.

“This matter now has a long history and it needs to progress,” Lynch said.

“I expect both parties to do everything necessary so that there is no further adjournment of the trial.”

Lynch told Burrows to inform the court and prosecutor Caroline Marco of the name of Lehrmann’s barrister as soon as possible

“Ms Burrows, it really is now that the ball is in your court to engage counsel,” Lynch said.

Lynch said he would issue a formal order on the trial start date on Tuesday unless Marco raised a problem with witness availability.

Lehrmann was charged in January 2023 and committed in July 2024 to stand trial following hearings in Toowoomba Magistrates Court into the reliability of the alleged victim’s evidence.

He has yet to enter a plea but has previously said via his solicitor he will contest the charges

Lehrmann and the woman met the night prior at a Toowoomba strip club.

She told police she and Lehrmann discussed their political beliefs before catching a taxi to his friend’s house, having consensual sex and consuming cocaine about 4am.

The woman said she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her.

Lehrmann was not required to appear in court on Monday. His bail was continued.

In a separate, civil case, the Federal Court ruled against Lehrmann on Monday over his handwritten diary, held by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The commission had been investigating whether Lehrmann, a former staffer to then-defence minister Linda Reynolds, misused official information on French submarines.

The commission has dropped the probe against him but the fight over the blue diary continued.

Justice Brigitte Markovic on Monday granted a public interest immunity claim that prevents at least two of the pages being returned on the grounds they contained confidential information on a ministerial cabinet’s consideration of a topic and costings.

Lehrmann submitted he never attended a cabinet meeting at the relevant time and the information was at best second-hand.

He was not found to have engaged in any wrongdoing.

Markovic ordered the diary be returned to the commission.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732.

AAP