Former Liberal Get together staffer Bruce Lehrmann desires to face trial with out a jury on costs alleging he raped a lady in 2021.
Lehrmann was not required to seem in particular person in Toowoomba District Court docket at this time for the case’s first point out for the reason that indictment on two rape costs was handed down in December.
He has but to enter a plea however his authorized representatives have beforehand mentioned he denies the fees.
Defence solicitor Rowan King instructed Choose Dennis Lynch that barrister Patrick Wilson would make three pre-trial purposes for Lehrmann.
“There’s an utility for a judge-alone trial, there’s additionally an utility in respect to potential safety of information and a joint utility with reference to uncharged sexual contact,” King mentioned.
Beneath Queensland regulation, a trial will be heard with out a jury and the choose handing down verdicts if “it’s within the pursuits of justice to take action”.
The grounds for a judge-only trial embrace the hearings are prolonged or complicated, or each, or “there was important pre-trial publicity which will have an effect on jury deliberations”.
Crown prosecutor Caroline Marco mentioned she would additionally make three pre-trial purposes, together with becoming a member of with the defence for an utility that may embrace proof of “uncharged acts” to show a sexual curiosity between the defendant and alleged sufferer.”
“The purposes to be made by the Crown shall be a particular witness utility, an utility to steer uncharged sexual actions … and likewise an utility for (privileged communications),” Marco mentioned.
An individual granted particular witness standing can provide proof from a distant witness room or to a courtroom closed to the general public.
Each prosecutors and Lehrmann have but to formally file purposes forward of a District Court docket trial, which doesn’t have a date for beginning.
Toowoomba Magistrates Court docket beforehand was instructed there was consensual sexual exercise between Lehrmann and the defendant within the hours previous to the alleged offences.
Lehrmann is accused of raping the lady twice in the course of the morning of October 10, 2021 after they met at a strip membership the earlier evening in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.
The girl claimed she consumed cocaine with Bruce Lehrmann throughout an evening out earlier than consensual intercourse at a home in east Toowoomba about 4am.
The girl mentioned she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her.
Defence barrister Andrew Hoare mentioned on the committal the alleged sufferer was too intoxicated to recollect giving consent and Lehrmann may have mistakenly believed he had consent for additional intercourse acts.
Hoare mentioned the lady obtained emergency contraception after being given a carry to a pharmacy by Lehrmann, and ticked a field that she wanted the capsule as her different contraception had failed and never resulting from sexual assault.
Choose Lynch on Thursday ordered prosecutors and Lehrmann to file their purposes by March 14.
Lehrmann’s bail circumstances have been prolonged forward of a pre-trial instructions listening to at Toowoomba District Court docket on March 27.
