Lehrmann denies sexually assaulting Ms Higgins in the office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds in the early hours of Saturday March 23, 2019.

On March 25, he was called into the office of acting chief of staff Fiona Brown regarding a “security incident” involving himself and Ms Higgins attending after hours while inebriated over the weekend.

On Monday, at his defamation trial against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, Lehrmann said he had dropped his parliamentary pass off at security after being told to pack up his things.

He did this despite Ms Brown saying she wanted to see him one last time before escorting him out of the building, the Federal Court was told.

The law student denied propositions by Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC that he had left Parliament House without seeing Ms Brown because he “feared” she had learned he had sexually assaulted Ms Higgins.

“That’s ridiculous,” Lehrmann said.

He denied further suggestions by Dr Collins that he had declined a further meeting with Ms Brown by saying he wasn’t in the “right headspace” because Ms Higgins’ alleged sexual assault meant his world was going to come “crumbling down” around him.

Lehrmann is suing Ten and Wilkinson over a February 2021 report on The Project in which Ms Higgins was interviewed about the alleged rape.

Lehrmann denies anything happened on the night.

He previously told the court he was in the office about 2am writing in Question Time folders and jotting down notes about what he had learned about French submarine contracts during discussions while out drinking earlier that night.

He has admitted lying to Ms Brown by saying he was there after hours to drink whiskey, and acknowledged he had not explained his attendance in a response to Senator Reynolds who asked why he should not be terminated for misconduct.

While admitting he had not contacted Ms Higgins to see if she had faced similar disciplinary action or had been terminated, he denied accusations by Dr Collins that this was because of the alleged sexual assault.

Lehrmann has settled separate defamation proceedings against News.com.au and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation over their reports about Ms Higgins’ allegations.

The criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court over Ms Higgins’ alleged rape was derailed by juror misconduct and prosecutors did not seek a second trial because of concerns over her mental health.

A landmark report into the ACT legal system and the Higgins case was released in August, making damning findings against now ex-director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold over his conduct during the case.

Lehrmann has separately been accused of raping another woman twice in Toowoomba in October 2021.

He has yet to enter a plea in that case, but his lawyers have indicated that he denies the charges.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211