June 12th 2024.
According to a recent tribunal hearing, Bruce Lehrmann caused significant damage to a luxurious property he was renting as part of a deal for an exclusive TV interview. Lady Gaenor Meakes, the owner of the property located on Sydney's Northern Beaches, had rented it out to Lehrmann with the Seven Network covering the hefty $100,000 bill. However, things took a sour turn when Meakes filed a lawsuit against Lehrmann for damages to the property and loss of rent.
During the conciliation hearing in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, it was revealed that Lehrmann had left the Balgowlah property with damages totaling $13,250 when he moved out. Additionally, Meakes claimed that she was owed $6000 in lost rent as Lehrmann had left the property three weeks before the agreed-upon date.
Unfortunately, the tribunal session was brief and the parties were unable to reach an agreement. Lehrmann did not attend the hearing, but Meakes' daughter Matilda spoke on her mother's behalf and stated that it had been quite a ride for them. When questioned about whether they were aware of Lehrmann's identity as the tenant of their luxurious property, Meakes replied, "I don't think anyone would willingly rent to him, would they?"
The property is currently up for rent with an asking price of nearly $2000 per week. Meakes is married to renowned yachtsman Mark Richards, who is famous for his long tenure as the skipper of Wild Oats XI, a nine-time line honours winner at the annual Sydney-Hobart yacht race. The case is set to return to the tribunal on June 27 for further directions.
Lehrmann recently made headlines when he filed a last-minute appeal against his Federal Court defamation loss. The case involved a TV interview where he was accused of raping fellow Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House back in 2019. After a highly publicized trial, the judge found the rape allegations to be likely true and dismissed Lehrmann's case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
Despite not having any financial backers and his legal team working on a no-win, no-fee basis, Lehrmann decided to appeal the ruling. This move is expected to result in a hefty legal bill to cover the costs of defending the defamation trial for Ten and Wilkinson. Details of Lehrmann's deal with Seven to cover the rent for the Balgowlah property were brought to light during the defamation trial as the court reviewed his agreement for a tell-all interview on their flagship current affairs program.
Lehrmann had previously faced a criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court for the rape allegation, but it was aborted due to juror misconduct. Prosecutors later decided not to pursue the case further due to concerns for Higgins' mental health.
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