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Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial LIVE: Final showdown as Bruce Lehrmann's sex and drugs accuser faces court grilling over wild claims of $10,000 Thai massages, slap up meals and luxury digs

7 months ago 41

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson, which was reopened following explosive new evidence by a former Channel Seven producer.

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Bruce Lehrmann and Taylor Auerbach's alleged Thai massage 'happy relief' scandal

New evidence was uploaded on the Federal Court's website on Wednesday, including Taylor Auerbach's affidavits and various receipts for Thai massages amounting to about $10,000.

Mr Auerbach claimed two massages in particular were booked for himself and Bruce Lehrmann during a night out and paid for with a Channel Seven credit card.

Mr Lehrmann has continually denied Mr Auerbach's version of events and labelled the situation as 'bizarre'.

The dockets from Sensai Thai Massage in Burwood, in Sydney's west, are dated November 22, 2022. Mr Auerbach claimed the masseuses attended his home at Elizabeth Bay.

The first payment, worth $875, was made at 1.30am. The other was worth $1000 and was made about 20 minutes later, at 1.49am.

It is understood Mr Auerbach used the corporate card without the knowledge of key Spotlight staff.

According to the Sensai Thai Massage website, the business provides 'essential quality of service'.

'Find your happy relief here,' it says.

'Discover more fun with us.'

However, when approached by Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, a masseuse at the business appeared confused about how anyone could spend $10,000 at the establishment.

'Ten thousand dollars? For what? What are they doing? One hour is $70,' she said.

The woman then gestured to the parlour’s price list, which clearly showed the most expensive item was an hour-long massage for $70.

The price list in the parlour was at odds with the website, which says patrons can get a 45-minute 'double massage' for $100.

She laughed when shown copies of two receipts from the business - one for $875 at 1.30am and another for $1000 at 1.49am - adding: ‘You think this is real?’

She then questioned the Elizabeth Bay address because the massage parlour is in Burwood.

But when it was pointed out that the merchant ID on the dockets matched the Burwood business, she had no response.

The masseuse said the parlour does not do call-outs.

New twist rocks Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial - as email Taylor Auerbach wrote to Channel Seven bosses is revealed

Follow Daily Mail Australia's coverage of Network Ten's bid to reopen Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case

Bruce Lehrmann sued Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10 in the Federal Court over her 2021 interview with Brittany Higgins where she alleged he raped her in Parliament House in 2019. He has continually denied the allegations.

He was not named in that broadcast but claims friends and former colleagues were able to identify him as the alleged rapist.

The matter was heard before Justice Michael Lee in a four-week trial that concluded in December.

Justice Lee was set to deliver his verdict at 10.15am on Thursday. However, that all changed when former Channel Seven employee Taylor Auerbach gave new evidence in the form of three affidavits, covering about 2000 pages in total.

Mr Auerbach was on the team at Seven's Spotlight program when it secured exclusive interviews with Mr Lehrmann, which aired in June and August last year.

It was during those two interviews that classified information from Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial was broadcast on national television.

The confidential material included Ms Higgins' private texts and CCTV of Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann entering Parliament House before she was allegedly raped in March 2019.

It also included a five-hour meeting between Ms Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz, Lisa Wilkinson and The Project producer Angus Llewellyn, which was recorded before her television interview.

The leaked information had originally been collected by Australian Federal Police during the investigation into Ms Higgins' rape allegations and was protected under the Harman undertaking, which meant it could not be used for anything other than court proceedings.

Mr Auerbach, who left his job at Seven last year, reportedly claimed in his affidavit that Mr Lehrmann was the source of the confidential material.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Mr Lehrmann was the source of the leaked content.

The court will resume at 9.30am on Thursday. Mr Auerbach will give evidence at 2.15pm.

Key Updates

  • New twist rocks Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial - as email Taylor Auerbach wrote to Channel Seven bosses is revealed

READ MORE: New twist rocks Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial - as email Taylor Auerbach wrote to Channel Seven bosses is revealed

READ MORE: Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial: David Sharaz's foul-mouthed texts about his ex-wife are laid bare in bombshell court documents: 'She's doing all this'

READ MORE: Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial LIVE: Thai masseuse answers the key question about the 'happy relief' scandal where Channel Seven were 'billed $10,000'

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