Tag Archives: oceania

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Higgins 'as drunk as she's ever been' on night of alleged rape, court told

A jury has been told Brittany Higgins describes herself "as drunk as she'd ever been in her life" on the night she alleges she was raped inside Parliament House.

In his opening address, prosecutor Shane Drumgold SC told the jury the level of Higgins' intoxication was important because it was relevant to her ability to consent.

Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent.

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Brittany Higgins arriving at the ACT Supreme Court.

His trial began in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, overseen by Chief Justice Lucy McCallum.

Drumgold outlined the prosecution's version of events and the evidence the jury will hear throughout the case.

He said on Friday, March 22, 2019, Lehrmann and Higgins – who were working as staffers for former Liberal ministers Linda Reynolds and Steven Ciobo respectively – had been out drinking with colleagues at a Canberra bar.

The pair then went to a popular nightclub with some colleagues before leaving in a taxi together in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Higgins thought she was on her way home but Lehrmann said he needed to stop by Parliament House to collect some work, Drumgold said.

The court was told that at the security gate to enter the building, Lehrmann told guards via the intercom he was with Reynolds and they were picking up documents.

Drumgold told the court the security guards who saw the pair into the building observed they were affected by alcohol.

Higgins alleges after the two of them entered Reynolds' office, she fell asleep on a couch and woke up to Lehrmann having sex with her.

After Higgins "said 'no' half a dozen times" Lehrmann left the building in an Uber and she fell back asleep.

Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting Higgins.

Drumgold said she woke up alone in the office later that morning when a security guard checked on her.

In text messages after the alleged incident, Drumgold said Higgins told a friend she had been "barely lucid" at the time of the incident.

"If he (Lehrmann) thought it was OK why would he have just left me there," Higgins said in the message.

Defence lawyer Steven Whybrow said the Mark Twain quote "never let the truth get in the way of a good story" rang true in the case.

He said there were "massive holes" in the version of events Higgins gave to the police.

Whybrow said while violence against women was an "under-reported and under-prosecuted scourge on our society", the story Higgins had told was not true.

"This verdict in no way affects the conversations and the focus that is being turned to these issues. We have all known for some time these things are real," he said.

Before the trial began, the chief justice reminded jurors of the importance of impartiality.

McCallum labelled the trial somewhat of a "cause celebre" due to its high-profile nature.

"It is a fundamental requirement that a person accused of a serious criminal offence be tried by an impartial jury," she said.

Reynolds has been named as a witness in the trial, along with Liberal senator Michaelia Cash and former Liberal MP Ciobo.

Journalists Samantha Maiden and Lisa Wilkinson may also be called as witnesses.

The trial is expected to run for between four and six weeks.

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Jupiter is closest it's been to Earth in nearly 60 years

It's an exciting time for novice and experienced astronomers as Jupiter is the closest it's been to Earth since 1963.

South-East Queensland residents have been able to see the planet from different locations across Brisbane, with many taking photos of the spectacular sight.

The fifth planet from the sun in our solar system has been visible for the last two weeks but tonight is the closest it's been to Earth.

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Astrophysics professor at the University of Southern Queensland Jonti Horner said the planet looked "like an aircraft with its headlights on" because it was so bright.

"If you can afford a late night, you'll get a better view between 9pm and 3am just because Jupiter will be higher in the sky so you'll get a better view of it."

You will need a telescope to be able to see the details of the planet.

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This week's wet weather might prevent Aussies from being able to see the planet but it's expected to still be visible for the next three months.

After this, it won't be visible again until 2033.