Former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close wrote in her notes, in relation to a meeting with Senator Linda Reynolds, about information that Brittany Higgins might have been drugged by Bruce Lehrmann and “that this may have happened before and it could happen again”.
This evidence is dynamite because it has never been made public before and is powerful evidence of a cover-up, at least as far as that evidence is concerned. It was not discussed at Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial to my knowledge, nor at the ACT Inquiry into the police cover-up which was overseen by discredited former judge Walter Sofronoff, nor raised by the AFP and nor raised by News Corp’s Janet Albrechtsen who was leaked all the material from Bruce Lehrmann and Walter Sofronoff.
As soon as I started writing about the alleged rape in 2021 people in the comments and on social media speculated that a date rape drug was used on Brittany Higgins. I thought about writing an article on the possibility, that a date rape drug had been used, many times including recently but it is a bit complex especially given the fact that Bruce Lehrmann is currently facing further rape charges in Queensland.
But now the possibly that a date rape drug might have been used has become public, via Lehrmann’s defamation case, I think it needs to be addressed from a cover-up viewpoint and also the possible future ramifications.
The evidence shows up in an affidavit by former Channel 7 employee Taylor Auerbach sworn on the 2nd of April 2024 which has the “Master Chronology” supplied to Auerbach by Bruce Lehrmann and authored by Lehrmann’s barristers. At paragraph 158 it says the below: (Click here to read the affidavit)
and it says as part of that diary note the below:
The dairy notes above says “AFO Dairy notes – Leanne Cross. This seems to be a typo and should say, “Leanne Close” not Cross, as Fiona Brown’s affidavit in the Lehrmann matter says “At around 8:30am on Thursday 4 April 2019, before Senate Estimates, I attended the end of a meeting between the Minister and Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close. I recall they were meeting privately at the start.”
Former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close’s notes about a possible date rape drug being used raises many issues.
- What “info” had Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close heard and who from?
- Who said it might have happened before? And who to and who by?
- What did Senator Linda Reynolds and her chief of staff Fiona Brown know? Why have they never mentioned it?
- Why was this evidence not raised at Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial?
- Did the AFP tell ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold about this evidence?
- Why was this evidence not tendered by the AFP to the ACT / Walter Sofronoff Inquiry?
- Why did Walter Sofronoff not address this issue at the Inquiry and nor in his report? Was he never told about it?
- Former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close left the AFP in December 2019. Why was she not called to give evidence at the ACT / Walter Sofronoff inquiry?
- Why was AFP Officer Paul Sherring, who was also at the meeting with Linda Reynolds, not called to give evidence at the ACT / Walter Sofronoff inquiry?
- Given Channel 7 had the above evidence why did they not ask Bruce Lehrmann about it in their Spotlight interviews last year?
- Why was it never reported by News Corp propagandist at The Australian, Janet Albrechtson, even though she had to of known given she was leaked all the material? Well, we all know why she did not report it, but let’s see what she says?
Date rape drug GHB
If you look at all the facts, Brittany Higgins’ allegation of rape and her evidence fits almost perfectly with being drugged by GHB. From the governments Health Direct website:
The effects of GHB start after about 5 to 20 minutes. They can last from a few minutes to a few hours. People who take GHB may: nausea and vomiting, blackouts and confusion.
These effects can last for up to 4 hours and may appear earlier if GHB is taken with alcohol.
GHB is linked to date rape and sexual assaults as it can be used to spike drinks. It is hard to detect, particularly in opaque and strong-tasting drinks. GHB also leaves the person who took it unable to remember much of what happened while they were affected. (Click here to read more)
There are a lot of other date rape drugs and I just used GHB as an example.
The bottom line is that drugging was a possibility, as per former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close’s notes, but it doesn’t seem to have been investigated and Leanne Close’s notes have since been covered up until exposed at Lehrmann’s defamation case. Why the cover-up?
Brittany Higgins’ lawyers say at the end of paragraph 8 in response to the new evidence:
As far as she is aware, the potential that Ms Higgins was drugged is not an issue that has been raised or explored in these proceedings, and while there is evidence now that there was “info” that Ms Higgins was drugged, and that the concerns expressed in that note were held, the nature of that “info” and the basis upon which the concerns were held was not explored.
In the context of a serious challenge to the honesty and accuracy of Ms Higgins’ account of the events of the night in question, the potential that her perceptive and recollective abilities may have been affected other than by alcohol and trauma is an issue that she would have wished to explore. (Click here to read the full submission by Brittany Higgins lawyers)
I followed the ACT Inquiry headed up by Walter Sofronoff very closely and the key part was to review the ACT police’s investigation into Bruce Lehrmann’s alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.
The ACT Inquiry was detailed and covered detailed police notes and documents on all issues. For example I was able to write 2 very detailed and documented articles titled “AFP Detective Marcus Boorman’s tampering with a police document to conceal Bruce Lehrmann’s lies exposed at the ACT Inquiry” and “AFP Detective Scott Moller committed perjury at the ACT Inquiry trying to conceal aiding and abetting Bruce Lehrmann“.
Yet, there was no mention or any discussion at the ACT / Walter Sofronoff Inquiry about the drugging possibility as noted above by former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close.
Senator Linda Reynolds was in a meeting with the then Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close when she wrote the above notes regarding “info” about a possible drugging which raises the question why Linda Reynolds hasn’t said anything about it.
The new suspected drugging allegation is guaranteed to be raised by lawyers for Brittany Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz as part of their defence in Linda Reynolds defamation case against them so we will find out what Reynolds knew in a few months.
Although, Reynolds might discontinue her defamation case against Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz after Justice Lee hands down his judgment in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case on Monday (15/4/15) depending on what Justice Lee says about the alleged rape.
There should also be an inquiry by the federal government and/or ACT government about the new allegations especially given it could relate to other alleged rapes at parliament house.
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Categories: Australian Federal Police
Well well, what a ’surprise’ – not. Given Mr. Leahman’s now exposed perchance for extensive knowledge and use of drug use history – alledged, plus what appears to be a significant ‘cover up’ by those who ‘May have been knowing’ failed to mention it in the past. I smell a RAT !!
I smell a rat as well, especially when you couple the words used by Scott Morrison in his parliamentary apology with the possibility of a date rape drug being used. It appears that they knew more than they admitted.
Incredible isn’t it, this guy’s accused of rape and intends on organising a TV interview to plead his innocence and while organising multiple litigations for being libelled, while organising the interview with the producer, “no questions permitted about the night of the rape”, organises a secret huge payment for this interview and multiple international interviews and demands $100,000 in accomodation, accused by producer of demanding thousands for masseur “Prostitutes”, cocaine paid for, golf in Tasmania, plane flights for interview with Murdoch propaganda unit Janet Albrechtsen, ultra expensive dinners, the list go’s on and on, all paid for by TV network. And provides illegal information from protected police ordered phone texts. Has this guy got any credibility, period?
We see they have changed laws in the ACT and QLD to prevent what the juror in this ACT case and his other rape charges in QLD have already failed on, to name the accused rapists, perhaps we need several more laws changed in NSW to prevent the media and people like him repeating this ever happening again?
The actual rape allegation is a serious issue which needs to be correctly and comprehensively investigated. But the wider ranging issue of cover up by the Government and the AFP, as well as the “juror misconduct” have potentially serious repercussions for the country’s governance. Can anyone have faith in a government which lies during a criminal trial ? If malfeasance occurred who was responsible and why was Lehrman protected ? And does anyone really believe that a juror inadvertently left a folder with trial stopping info where it was “accidently” knocked off the table and discovered ? Who, if anyone, actually arranged this ? And, importantly, if malfeasance is discovered will those responsible be prosecuted ?
And does anyone really believe that a juror inadvertently left a folder with trial stopping info where it was “accidently” knocked off the table and discovered ?
I didn’t believe it. I think I read the Public Servant responsible for ensuring Luke Shaw made it onto the Jury List for Bjelke-Joh’s Trial resigned straight after and moved to Sydney.
So, perhaps this guy bought an Island in the West Indies and lived happily ever after?
My questions also. Seems terribly coincidental — not.
Until reading Mr. Quinns suggestion of the alleged folder being ‘discovered’ had never even thought of same, but now as this circus continues on, believe there is reasonable cause to seriously consider the mysterious finding of the folder, with so many lies being spread, many connected directly to the Liberal Party and cover ups by AFP, a (retired) judge hearing matters and phoning journalists during the hearing of the matters, the entire matter is absolutely bazaar, poor reflection on the judiciary and poor reflection on the AFP, one common denominator being the involvement of media, particularly Murdoch and Co who believe they have rights to decide the direction of the country and happy to interfere whenever necessary. Can only hope Federal Court Judge Lee can see through the distractions.
If the suspected or possible drug becomes more of a reality, then I view any former judgment that eventuated with the concealment of relevant evidence should be set aside and the criminal trial reopened. I never really followed the case and merely at times read an article, but it seemed to me that Brittany was more than likely telling the truth, despite some of what was claimed vague answers, etc. For the sake of JUSTICE I would like the judge to hold that the judgment was the product of concealment/deception/fraud and for this the judgment can be set aside and the criminal case can be re-opened. As after all the integrity of the Administration of Justice is paramount.
The date rape drug hypothesis is idle speculation.
There is no evidence.
Let us stick with what we think we know.
We don’t know what evidence the AFP had and that’s what needs investigating
rubbish
Video I just published on the above article: “Did the AFP and/or Walter Sofronoff cover-up the date rape drugging evidence of former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close?” Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RpZ9dXCZT0
Justice Lee’s decision comes as no surprise to the majority of Australians who have been following this case/story/incident for 3+ years.
I am now awaiting the outcomes of costs claims and the state of the people in the media industry who have backed Lehrmann with money and other costly support while all this has played out.
If Kerry Stokes or Ryan Stokes ever give me a tip for a bet, I’ll take it with the biggest grain of salt.
Regardless of the legal shenanigans (of which there were plenty, with more to be exposed I hope) it’s obvious that Lehrmann thought he was untouchable because he was a man. He was unable to see that a reasonable person would see his lies and despicable behaviour with no difficulty, and as a result went back into “the lion’s den” again with an ill-advised defamation case. He should have quit while he was ahead when the trial was aborted, but he was convinced he would win and was mesmerised by the prospect of a big win. It’s a very good illustration of the sort of entitlement such men feel.
I have just published a video titled “Brittany Higgins checkmates Linda Reynolds in defamation case with new AFP witness who had info about suspected date rape drugging” with the latest developments of the above article.
Click here to watch the video: https://youtu.be/5cogLcUj7X4