Inquiry hears senior police officers were under 'significant pressure' to charge Bruce Lehrmann - ABC News

A senior police officer who investigated Brittany Higgins's rape allegation says he was under pressure from her, the media and the police internally to charge Bruce Lehrmann.

Key points:

• The inquiry into the handling of Bruce Lehrmann's now-abandoned trial is continuing
• Detective Superintendent Scott Moller told the inquiry he believed there was not enough evidence to charge Mr Lehrmann
• Inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff also questioned The Australian's decision to publish a picture of ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold drinking a beer on its front page

Fronting an inquiry into how the case against Mr Lehrmann was handled by criminal justice agencies, ACT Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said the investigating officers in the matter were under an exceptional amount of pressure.

Superintendent Moller said he believed there was not enough evidence to charge Mr Lehrmann but was told by ACT Commander Michael Chew to "get it done".

"I don't want to cast all the blame … really it is hard for me to articulate the kind of pressure that was on us at that time," he said.

"I didn't think there was enough evidence and then I received the director's advice, and certainly after receiving his advice I decided to go ahead."

Superintendent Moller said there was also a "significant amount of pressure" from Ms Higgins.

"There was a real desire to expedite this process and get Mr Lehrmann before the court … from the public, the media, my own organisation," he said.

Commander Chew is also expected to face questioning in the inquiry as it continues.

Bruce Lehrmann's trial was abandoned last year and there have been no findings against him.(AAP: Mick Tsikas)

Last year, the jury in Mr Lehrmann's trial was discharged after it was revealed a juror had brought material into the jury room that had not been provided as evidence during the trial.

Mr Lehrmann has maintained his innocence and there have been no findings against him after the trial was abandoned.

'Made fun of in the national media'

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold faced an intensive line of questioning from the inquiry in its first week.(ABC News: Donal Sheil )

Day eight of the ACT board of inquiry began today after an hour's delay.

Inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff opened the proceedings by criticising last Friday's front page of News Corp masthead The Australian, which featured a photograph of the ACT's chief prosecutor.

Mr Sofronoff questioned the newspaper's decision to publish the photo of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shane Drumgold, drinking a beer in the driveway of his home, accompanied with the headline: "Crown lager or Drumgold bitter? Prosecutor calls beer o'clock".

"I'm stumped at trying to think of the proper purpose of doing this," Mr Sofronoff told the inquiry.

He also said he was concerned that those giving evidence to the inquiry may be affected by the newspaper's front page.

"My real worry is that the witnesses who have been willing to help me will think this is part of the price … being made fun of in the national media."

Chair of the inquiry Walter Sofronoff said he was "stumped" by the photo of Mr Drumgold in The Australian last week.(AAP: Dan Peled)

Last week Mr Drumgold took a leave of absence from the DPP after giving his own evidence in the inquiry.

Mr Sofronoff told the inquiry he had written to The Australian's editor Michelle Gunn seeking justification for the front page.

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2023-05-22 06:01:10Z
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