The mystery over why Bruce Lehrmann’s bank statements only record a $16 charge at the pub he drank at on the night of the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins has sparked questions over whether he used a second card to buy drinks that night.
On the third day of Mr Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Network 10, Lisa Wilkinson and The Project on Friday, Ten’s barrister Dr Matt Collins KC asked Mr Lehrmann if he had purchased drinks for Ms Higgins using another ATM card that was not provided to police.
Bank records provided to police and provided to the jury during the criminal rape trial show a single charge of $16 at The Dock, a pub in Canberra.
Earlier, Mr Lehrmann denied buying Ms Higgins a drink at that pub before he took a short break and remembered he had purchased her a drink at the bar.
CCTV was then played that appears to show Mr Lehrmann buying her a drink with a credit card twice that night. He previously told police he did not recall buying her a drink.
Mr Lehrmann could not recall which credit card he used.
The bank records he provided to police show a single charge of $16.
Dr Collins put it to him that those purchases – two beers and a vodka – did not match the credit card entry of $16 on his bank records.
At 11:09pm the footage shows Mr Lehrmann producing a card to buy another drink with Ms Higgins.
“At 23.09 that was you handing a card over to pay for the drinks that you had just ordered for yourself and Ms Higgins,’’ Mr Collins said.
“Yes,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
“Can you explain, Mr Lehrmann, how you paid for those drinks,’’ Dr Collins asked.
Dr Collins said he had produced records to the police that only showed a single $16 purchase.
“You must have had another source of funds that you have not disclosed.”
“No,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
“I can’t explain beyond that. I had two cards.”
Mr Lehrmann’s bank records also show he spent $24.20 for dinner at the Kingston Hotel with a friend Austin Wenke before he met up with Ms Higgins.
The group then moved on to a nightclub called 88MPH where Mr Lehrmann spent $40.
The defamation trial continues.