Latest news with #ToowoombaDistrictCourt
Perth Now
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Lehrmann pushes to stop rape trial
Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has taken a dramatic step to halt his upcoming rape trial, filing an application that alleges police unlawfully recorded conversations with his legal team. The 29-year-old former Liberal Party staffer was charged with two counts of rape over an alleged incident in Toowoomba in October 2021. Mr Lehrmann's Sydney-based lawyer, Zali Burrows, lodged a fresh application in the Toowoomba District Court on Monday, requesting a permanent stay of proceedings. It followed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) filing an affidavit last Friday that the defence argues failed to include all relevant material in the case. Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been charged with two counts of rape. NewsWire / John Gass Credit: News Corp Australia The matter was briefly mentioned in the Ipswich District Court on Wednesday, as the Toowoomba District Court was not sitting. Mr Lehrmann and Ms Burrows both appeared via phone. The permanent stay application stems from allegations that police unlawfully recorded phone calls with Mr Lehrmann's lawyer. According to the defence, an officer failed to initially disclose six items, including four audio recordings of conversations between her and Mr Lehrmann's former legal representative, two recordings involving the alleged victim, and one with a witness. Judge Dennis Lynch ordered all material the parties intend to rely on, including affidavits and written submissions, to be filed by July 14 for the applicant and July 21 for the respondent. He adjourned the case to the previously scheduled date of July 25 when the permanent stay application will be heard alongside a separate defence application for full disclosure of police material. Mr Lehrmann's lawyer Zali Burrows said the prosecution failed to initially disclose six items. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia While Queensland law permits individuals to record conversations they are a party to, NSW law, where all of Mr Lehrmann's legal representatives are based, requires consent from all parties or specific exemptions. In May, Ms Burrows lodged an application seeking full disclosure of all material in the Queensland Police Service's possession. The ODPP's affidavit filed last week was in response to that request. If the permanent stay application succeeds, the rape charges against Mr Lehrmann could be dropped. Mr Lehrmann's bail was formally extended, and the matter is scheduled to be heard on July 25 at the Toowoomba District Court. He has indicted that he will defend the charges but is yet to enter any pleas.
7NEWS
24-06-2025
- 7NEWS
Bruce Lehrmann tries to shut down rape trial amid police conduct claims
Bruce Lehrmann has sought to halt a rape case against him, claiming that police 'illegally obtained' his lawyers' phone calls. Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of October 10, 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. Defence lawyer Zali Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba District Court on Monday seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann's pending trial. In court documents seen by AAP, Burrows sought a 'declaration that intercepted calls between Lehrmann's lawyers and Queensland Police (were) illegally obtained'. Burrows' application was in response to an affidavit by Peter Blake-Segovia, a practice manager at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' Toowoomba chambers. The affidavit stated police had possession of four audio recordings of calls between a detective and Lehrmann's previous lawyers. Blake-Segovia stated he had emailed the arresting officer in Lehrmann's case, Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder, concerning material in the case. 'Can you please confirm whether a copy of anything that is relevant to the proceeding? has been disclosed?' Blake-Segovia emailed on June 17. In the court affidavit, Blake-Segovia stated Detective Ryder had 'outlined items that were in her possession that were not provided as part of the brief to the Director of Public Prosecutions'. The items included 'four audio recordings between the arresting officer and (Lehrmann's) previous legal representatives'. 'I will review the contents of the material to ascertain whether they ought to be disclosed,' Blake-Segovia stated to the court. In Queensland, it is generally lawful for a person to record a phone conversation without the consent of the other people on the call. However, Lehrmann — a former ministerial staffer to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds — has ongoing legal matters in NSW and Tasmania, where it is generally illegal to record a phone conversation without consent. The alleged victim previously told Toowoomba Magistrates Court she consumed cocaine with Lehrmann during a night out before consensual sex at about 4am. The woman said she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her. Lehrmann's former defence barrister, Andrew Hoare, said at a prior hearing the alleged victim was too intoxicated to remember giving consent and Lehrmann could have mistakenly believed he had consent. Burrows on Monday also applied for a declaration that Queensland Police did not have the discretion to determine what is relevant to the defence case and must disclose all materials. Blake-Segovia stated to the court that police held items, in addition to the phone call recordings, that had not been disclosed. SnapChat messaging app. The Ipswich District Court is due to hear Burrows' application on Wednesday.
The Advertiser
24-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Lehrmann seeks to halt rape trial over police conduct
Bruce Lehrmann has sought to halt a rape case against him, claiming that police "illegally obtained" his lawyer's phone calls. Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of October 10, 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. Defence lawyer Zali Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba District Court on Monday seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann's pending trial. In court documents seen by AAP, Ms Burrows sought a "declaration that intercepted calls between Mr Lehrmann's lawyers and Queensland Police (were) illegally obtained". Ms Burrows' application was in response to an affidavit by Peter Blake-Segovia, a practice manager at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' Toowoomba chambers. The affidavit stated police had possession of four audio recordings of calls between a detective and Lehrmann's previous lawyers. Mr Blake-Segovia stated he had emailed the arresting officer in Lehrmann's case, Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder, concerning material in the case. "Can you please confirm whether a copy of anything that is relevant to the proceeding … has been disclosed?" Mr Blake-Segovia emailed on June 17. In the court affidavit, Mr Blake-Segovia stated Det Ryder had "outlined items that were in her possession that were not provided as part of the brief to the Director of Public Prosecutions". The items included "four audio recordings between the arresting officer and (Lehrmann's) previous legal representatives". "I will review the contents of the material to ascertain whether they ought to be disclosed," Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court. In Queensland it is generally lawful for a person to record a phone conversation without the consent of the other people on the call. However, Lehrmann - a former ministerial staffer to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds - has ongoing legal matters in NSW and Tasmania, where it is generally illegal to record a phone conversation without consent. The alleged victim previously told Toowoomba Magistrates Court she consumed cocaine with Lehrmann during a night out before consensual sex at about 4am. The woman said she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her. Lehrmann's former defence barrister Andrew Hoare said at a prior hearing the alleged victim was too intoxicated to remember giving consent and Lehrmann could have mistakenly believed he had consent. Ms Burrows on Monday also applied for a declaration that Queensland Police did not have the discretion to determine what is relevant to the defence case and must disclose all materials. Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court that police held items, in addition to the phone call recordings, that had not been disclosed. Those items included two audio recordings and two emails between the alleged victim and Det Ryder, an audio recording of a witness and information about Lehrmann's account on the SnapChat messaging app. The Ipswich District Court is due to hear Ms Burrows' application on Wednesday. Bruce Lehrmann has sought to halt a rape case against him, claiming that police "illegally obtained" his lawyer's phone calls. Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of October 10, 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. Defence lawyer Zali Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba District Court on Monday seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann's pending trial. In court documents seen by AAP, Ms Burrows sought a "declaration that intercepted calls between Mr Lehrmann's lawyers and Queensland Police (were) illegally obtained". Ms Burrows' application was in response to an affidavit by Peter Blake-Segovia, a practice manager at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' Toowoomba chambers. The affidavit stated police had possession of four audio recordings of calls between a detective and Lehrmann's previous lawyers. Mr Blake-Segovia stated he had emailed the arresting officer in Lehrmann's case, Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder, concerning material in the case. "Can you please confirm whether a copy of anything that is relevant to the proceeding … has been disclosed?" Mr Blake-Segovia emailed on June 17. In the court affidavit, Mr Blake-Segovia stated Det Ryder had "outlined items that were in her possession that were not provided as part of the brief to the Director of Public Prosecutions". The items included "four audio recordings between the arresting officer and (Lehrmann's) previous legal representatives". "I will review the contents of the material to ascertain whether they ought to be disclosed," Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court. In Queensland it is generally lawful for a person to record a phone conversation without the consent of the other people on the call. However, Lehrmann - a former ministerial staffer to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds - has ongoing legal matters in NSW and Tasmania, where it is generally illegal to record a phone conversation without consent. The alleged victim previously told Toowoomba Magistrates Court she consumed cocaine with Lehrmann during a night out before consensual sex at about 4am. The woman said she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her. Lehrmann's former defence barrister Andrew Hoare said at a prior hearing the alleged victim was too intoxicated to remember giving consent and Lehrmann could have mistakenly believed he had consent. Ms Burrows on Monday also applied for a declaration that Queensland Police did not have the discretion to determine what is relevant to the defence case and must disclose all materials. Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court that police held items, in addition to the phone call recordings, that had not been disclosed. Those items included two audio recordings and two emails between the alleged victim and Det Ryder, an audio recording of a witness and information about Lehrmann's account on the SnapChat messaging app. The Ipswich District Court is due to hear Ms Burrows' application on Wednesday. Bruce Lehrmann has sought to halt a rape case against him, claiming that police "illegally obtained" his lawyer's phone calls. Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of October 10, 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. Defence lawyer Zali Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba District Court on Monday seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann's pending trial. In court documents seen by AAP, Ms Burrows sought a "declaration that intercepted calls between Mr Lehrmann's lawyers and Queensland Police (were) illegally obtained". Ms Burrows' application was in response to an affidavit by Peter Blake-Segovia, a practice manager at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' Toowoomba chambers. The affidavit stated police had possession of four audio recordings of calls between a detective and Lehrmann's previous lawyers. Mr Blake-Segovia stated he had emailed the arresting officer in Lehrmann's case, Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder, concerning material in the case. "Can you please confirm whether a copy of anything that is relevant to the proceeding … has been disclosed?" Mr Blake-Segovia emailed on June 17. In the court affidavit, Mr Blake-Segovia stated Det Ryder had "outlined items that were in her possession that were not provided as part of the brief to the Director of Public Prosecutions". The items included "four audio recordings between the arresting officer and (Lehrmann's) previous legal representatives". "I will review the contents of the material to ascertain whether they ought to be disclosed," Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court. In Queensland it is generally lawful for a person to record a phone conversation without the consent of the other people on the call. However, Lehrmann - a former ministerial staffer to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds - has ongoing legal matters in NSW and Tasmania, where it is generally illegal to record a phone conversation without consent. The alleged victim previously told Toowoomba Magistrates Court she consumed cocaine with Lehrmann during a night out before consensual sex at about 4am. The woman said she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her. Lehrmann's former defence barrister Andrew Hoare said at a prior hearing the alleged victim was too intoxicated to remember giving consent and Lehrmann could have mistakenly believed he had consent. Ms Burrows on Monday also applied for a declaration that Queensland Police did not have the discretion to determine what is relevant to the defence case and must disclose all materials. Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court that police held items, in addition to the phone call recordings, that had not been disclosed. Those items included two audio recordings and two emails between the alleged victim and Det Ryder, an audio recording of a witness and information about Lehrmann's account on the SnapChat messaging app. The Ipswich District Court is due to hear Ms Burrows' application on Wednesday. Bruce Lehrmann has sought to halt a rape case against him, claiming that police "illegally obtained" his lawyer's phone calls. Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of October 10, 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. Defence lawyer Zali Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba District Court on Monday seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann's pending trial. In court documents seen by AAP, Ms Burrows sought a "declaration that intercepted calls between Mr Lehrmann's lawyers and Queensland Police (were) illegally obtained". Ms Burrows' application was in response to an affidavit by Peter Blake-Segovia, a practice manager at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' Toowoomba chambers. The affidavit stated police had possession of four audio recordings of calls between a detective and Lehrmann's previous lawyers. Mr Blake-Segovia stated he had emailed the arresting officer in Lehrmann's case, Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder, concerning material in the case. "Can you please confirm whether a copy of anything that is relevant to the proceeding … has been disclosed?" Mr Blake-Segovia emailed on June 17. In the court affidavit, Mr Blake-Segovia stated Det Ryder had "outlined items that were in her possession that were not provided as part of the brief to the Director of Public Prosecutions". The items included "four audio recordings between the arresting officer and (Lehrmann's) previous legal representatives". "I will review the contents of the material to ascertain whether they ought to be disclosed," Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court. In Queensland it is generally lawful for a person to record a phone conversation without the consent of the other people on the call. However, Lehrmann - a former ministerial staffer to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds - has ongoing legal matters in NSW and Tasmania, where it is generally illegal to record a phone conversation without consent. The alleged victim previously told Toowoomba Magistrates Court she consumed cocaine with Lehrmann during a night out before consensual sex at about 4am. The woman said she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her. Lehrmann's former defence barrister Andrew Hoare said at a prior hearing the alleged victim was too intoxicated to remember giving consent and Lehrmann could have mistakenly believed he had consent. Ms Burrows on Monday also applied for a declaration that Queensland Police did not have the discretion to determine what is relevant to the defence case and must disclose all materials. Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court that police held items, in addition to the phone call recordings, that had not been disclosed. Those items included two audio recordings and two emails between the alleged victim and Det Ryder, an audio recording of a witness and information about Lehrmann's account on the SnapChat messaging app. The Ipswich District Court is due to hear Ms Burrows' application on Wednesday.
Perth Now
24-06-2025
- Perth Now
Lehrmann seeks to halt rape trial over police conduct
Bruce Lehrmann has sought to halt a rape case against him, claiming that police "illegally obtained" his lawyer's phone calls. Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of October 10, 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. Defence lawyer Zali Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba District Court on Monday seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann's pending trial. In court documents seen by AAP, Ms Burrows sought a "declaration that intercepted calls between Mr Lehrmann's lawyers and Queensland Police (were) illegally obtained". Ms Burrows' application was in response to an affidavit by Peter Blake-Segovia, a practice manager at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' Toowoomba chambers. The affidavit stated police had possession of four audio recordings of calls between a detective and Lehrmann's previous lawyers. Mr Blake-Segovia stated he had emailed the arresting officer in Lehrmann's case, Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder, concerning material in the case. "Can you please confirm whether a copy of anything that is relevant to the proceeding … has been disclosed?" Mr Blake-Segovia emailed on June 17. In the court affidavit, Mr Blake-Segovia stated Det Ryder had "outlined items that were in her possession that were not provided as part of the brief to the Director of Public Prosecutions". The items included "four audio recordings between the arresting officer and (Lehrmann's) previous legal representatives". "I will review the contents of the material to ascertain whether they ought to be disclosed," Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court. In Queensland it is generally lawful for a person to record a phone conversation without the consent of the other people on the call. However, Lehrmann - a former ministerial staffer to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds - has ongoing legal matters in NSW and Tasmania, where it is generally illegal to record a phone conversation without consent. The alleged victim previously told Toowoomba Magistrates Court she consumed cocaine with Lehrmann during a night out before consensual sex at about 4am. The woman said she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her. Lehrmann's former defence barrister Andrew Hoare said at a prior hearing the alleged victim was too intoxicated to remember giving consent and Lehrmann could have mistakenly believed he had consent. Ms Burrows on Monday also applied for a declaration that Queensland Police did not have the discretion to determine what is relevant to the defence case and must disclose all materials. Mr Blake-Segovia stated to the court that police held items, in addition to the phone call recordings, that had not been disclosed. Those items included two audio recordings and two emails between the alleged victim and Det Ryder, an audio recording of a witness and information about Lehrmann's account on the SnapChat messaging app. The Ipswich District Court is due to hear Ms Burrows' application on Wednesday.
Sky News AU
23-06-2025
- Sky News AU
Bruce Lehrmann calls for Toowoomba rape charges to be thrown out after discovering police illegally bugged lawyer's phone calls
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has called for his rape charges to be thrown out after discovering police may have illegally bugged his lawyer's phone calls. His lawyer, Zali Burrows, lodged the application on Monday with the Toowoomba District Court which included a request for a permanent stay on criminal proceedings, according to the Daily Telegraph. Lehrmann could have his rape charges dropped and the case thrown out if his request is successful. He is accused of raping a woman twice after meeting at a strip club in October, 2021. According to the outlet, the application was lodged in response to an affidavit filed on Friday by the practice manager at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). In the affidavit, the public prosecutor learned last Wednesday that the arresting officer in Lehrmann's case, Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder, had six items in her possession that were not originally provided by the ODPP as part of the brief evidence. The items included audio recordings between Detective Ryder and a witness, Lehrmann's former legal representative, and the alleged victim who cannot be named for legal reasons. Ms Burrow's application called for a declaration that the intercepted phone calls between Lehrmann's lawyers and the Queensland Police Force were 'illegally obtained'. Detective Ryder was also in possession of a further addendum from the alleged victim, which had been drafted but not signed, which included Lehrmann's Snapchat logins, emails between the alleged victim and Detective Ryder, as well as other documents which were not provided in the brief to the public prosecutor. The affidavit said Detective Ryder 'confirmed' she was not in possession of anything which could be 'reasonably considered to be adverse to the reliability or credibility of a proposed witness for the prosecution'. Police must disclose all relevant material collected in an investigation to prosecutors. While Queensland law allows private conversations to be recorded by a participating individual without the consent of others involved, Lehrmann's lawyers had been based in NSW where such laws differ. The ODPP said it will make a decision on whether all material provided by Detective Ryder should be disclosed. Lehrmann is expected to fight the rape allegations and his lawyer has called for an urgent directions hearing in the coming days.
