Former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close is due to give evidence on Thursday (22/8/24) at Linda Reynolds defamation case against Brittany Higgins and part of that evidence are notes Leanne Close made in 2019 about “info” that a date rape drug had been used on Brittany Higgins.

Brittany Higgins has called former Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close, not Linda Reynolds.

It means that Brittany Higgins and her lawyers are very confident that Leanne Close will give evidence that supports Brittany’s defence and do damage to Linda Reynolds defamation claim.

Leanne Close’s notes from 2019 have already been used to cross examine Linda Reynolds last week and Reynolds disputed some of what was written in the notes.

So, Leanne Close’s evidence on Thursday (22/8/24) could, and I suspect will based on Close’s 2019 notes, contradict Linda Reynolds evidence on key issues such as when Linda Reynolds first new of Brittany Higgins rape. If that happens it will be very damaging to Linda Reynolds credibility as a witness. 

I wrote about Leanne Close and her 2019 notes on the 11^th of April 2024 in an article I published titled “Did Bruce Lehrmann use a date rape drug like GHB to assault Brittany Higgins as suspected by the AFP as a possibility?” which starts off:

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.

1. What “info” had Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close heard and who from?
2. Who said it might have happened before? And who to and who by?
3. What did Senator Linda Reynolds and her chief of staff Fiona Brown know? Why have they never mentioned it?
4. Why was this evidence not raised at Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial?
5. Did the AFP tell ACT Prosecutor Shane Drumgold about this evidence?
6. Why was this evidence not tendered by the AFP to the ACT / Walter Sofronoff Inquiry?
7. Why did Walter Sofronoff not address this issue at the Inquiry and nor in his report? Was he never told about it?
8. 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?
9. 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?
10. Given Channel 7 had the above evidence why did they not ask Bruce Lehrmann about it in their Spotlight interviews last year?
11. 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. (Click here to read the full article)

Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close’s notes that were tendered at Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Channel 10 have been used by Brittany Higgins barrister to cross examine Linda Reynolds, as per below, so have been tendered as evidence. 

Hopefully Leanne Close’s evidence will answer some of the questions I raised above. 

Linda Reynolds, right, is suing Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz

Linda Reynolds defamation trial on the 9th of August 2024 heard questions related to a meeting on 4th of April 2019 between the then Assistant AFP Commissioner Leanne Close, Senator Linda Reynolds and her chief of staff Fiona Brown.

News Corp reported:

Senator Reynolds said the first time she was told about an allegation of rape was at a meeting with then AFP Assistant Commissioner Leanne Close, who advised her Ms Higgins had decided to proceed with a sexual assault complaint.

The senator was questioned about notes from the assistant commissioner, which stated ‘min pointed to the couch’ and ‘found out through the DPS report.’

Questions were put to the senator that she told the assistant commissioner they had become aware of the incident on Tuesday and it happened on her couch on Saturday.

Senator Reynolds told the court that the notes from the assistant commissioner were not the entire conversation, but a summary of what had been said.

She continued denying knowing about the sexual assault before they had met.

“This is what I had been told by Assistant Commissioner Close, I was actually addressing Fiona Brown that it was on the couch,” Senator Reynolds said.

“I do not recall the assistant commissioner telling me that Ms Higgins thought she had been drugged.

“What she did say was that the appropriate actions was to allow Ms Higgins agency and we should support her with anything she needed.

“She said it was important that Brittany come to us, and that is what we did.” (Click here to read more)

I published the below video on the 21st of August 2024 with further relevant details on this matter. Click anywhere on the video below to watch or click here to watch on the Kangaroo Court of Australia YouTube channel.

Although Fiona Brown has been excused from giving evidence on medical grounds it has been reported that transcript from her evidence at Bruce Lehrman’s defamation case, and maybe Lehrmann’s rape trial, will be used in Reynolds defamation case.

So, Leanne Close’s evidence may also contradict Fiona Brown’s evidence which would also do damage to Linda Reynolds defamation claim.

Some people have asked what Leanne Close’s evidence has got to do with Linda Reynolds defamation case. Mostly it will go to Linda Reynolds’ credibility as a witnesses.

If Leanne Close in effect says Linda Reynolds is lying or has given untrue evidence about key issues such as when Linda Reynolds first knew about the rape then it could, and I believe would be, a fatal blow for Linda Reynolds defamation claim.

Justice Michael Lee, who heard Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case, said in his judgement “unsubstantiated rumours mentioned by Assistant Commissioner Close”.

On Thursday at about midday AEST (10 am WA time) the so-called “unsubstantiated rumours mentioned by Assistant Commissioner Close” in April 2019 will become rock solid hard evidence.

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