An officer who investigated Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation said she and her partner David Sharaz used the media as a tool and the former Liberal staffer wanted to see how the story of her claim “played out” before providing a statement to police.
ACT Policing Senior Constable Emma Frizzell told an inquiry into the handling of the abandoned Bruce Lehrmann trial that Higgins, his accuser, said to her that conversations with a journalist had muddied her recollection of events, and also revealed the extensive media coverage made it difficult to speak to witnesses.
“I believe it was a tool driven by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz, which is evident by the first engagement I had with them whereby Ms Higgins advised she wished to see how the media played out prior to providing a statement.” The senior constable said in the statement she was concerned about Higgins’ credibility due to her providing different information to police and witnesses about seeking medical attention following the alleged incident, and comments made to Sharaz that Frizzell interpreted as Higgins trying to hide or delete evidence on her phone.
The inquiry has heard the media fuelled the pressure the investigating team was under, with another officer telling the inquiry he believed the case was being rushed to court to placate the media. Australian Federal Police acting assistant commissioner Joanne Cameron, who was deputy chief police officer in the territory at the time of the trial, told the inquiry on Thursday she feared investigators speaking with Lehrmann’s lawyers during the trial would fuel rumours of police conspiring with defence.
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