Bruce Lehrmann has likened being accused of rape to a nuclear bomb, declaring it was "like watching the world explode before your eyes" as friends disowned him because he was "politically inconvenient".
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The former Liberal Party staffer has told his side of one of the biggest stories in Australian history, declaring life as he knew it was over as he gave his first television interview to 7NEWS Spotlight.
"An absolute bloody furphy," he said of the version of events previously presented to the public.
"There's been so many inconsistencies. It's been wild to watch, actually."
His comments marked the first time many Australians had heard the voice of Mr Lehrmann, who opted not to take the witness stand in his own defence when he faced an ACT Supreme Court trial over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins at Parliament House.
The trial collapsed because of juror misconduct before the charge levelled at Mr Lehrmann, who maintains his innocence, was discontinued last December.
'Simply didn't happen'
Six months later, on Sunday evening, viewers heard Mr Lehrmann tell journalist Liam Bartlett he had not ruled out suing Ms Higgins personally for defamation.
He said he was a man with nothing left to lose.
"Let's light some fires," he declared as the interview began.
Immediately confronted about whether he had raped Ms Higgins, kissed her, or had consensual sex in the office of their former boss, Senator Linda Reynolds, Mr Lehrmann denied doing so.
"It simply didn't happen," he said.
Mr Lehrmann also told the Seven program he had been motivated to do the interview because there was "only one truth" and he wanted the public to know the facts so they could judge for themselves.
"I'm not after supporters," he proclaimed.
'Pretty dark day'
The story dates back to the early hours of March 23, 2019, when Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins returned to work after a drunken night out with colleagues.
CCTV footage shows the pair entering Senator Reynolds' ministerial suite together before Mr Lehrmann leaves about 40 minutes later.
Mr Lehrmann claims the pair went separate ways once inside the suite, and did not see each other again that morning.
Nearly two years later, in February 2021, Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegation by doing an interview with journalist Lisa Wilkinson on The Project.
"That was a pretty dark day," Mr Lehrmann told Seven, describing how he felt "utter outrage" as he watched Ms Higgins' interview in the office of his former solicitor.
He said friends blocked him on social media and removed him from group chats before his eyes, even though he was not named by The Project.
"It's pretty hard being kicked to the kerb," he said, adding that he used to be an extrovert but these days lived "under a rock".
'Bunch of losers'
The self-described "mummy's boy" made some scathing comments about politics, saying it had been "rather funny to watch the Twitterati fire up" about his background in the Young Liberals.
"I left because they're a bunch of losers on both sides of politics," he laughed in the Seven interview.
"It wasn't for me."
Mr Bartlett challenged Mr Lehrmann on several fronts during the interview, including whether it was true he had kissed Ms Higgins at 88mph, a Civic nightclub, before going with her to Parliament House.
The journalist suggested it would have made sense Mr Lehrmann was looking for "a quiet place" to go with Ms Higgins if this had happened.
But Mr Lehrmann labelled the story of the kiss, which another political staffer claimed to have witnessed, "rubbish".
He also defended travelling to Parliament House with Ms Higgins, saying she had indicated she needed to go there and he had thought he was being "a gentleman" by sharing an Uber with her.
Mr Lehrmann has, since the morning in question, given various explanations for the reason for his visit.
Different stories challenged
Mr Lehrmann has variously claimed he went to Parliament House to collect his keys, drink whisky, do work and pick up documents.
But he continued to insist he was telling the truth about heading in a different direction to Ms Higgins when the pair entered the ministerial suite.
Mr Lehrmann told 7NEWS Spotlight he could not explain how Ms Higgins had ended up in a state of undress in Senator Reynolds' office, saying that revelation had been news to him as it had been to the rest of the country.
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"That is a great question," he said.
Mr Bartlett suggested Mr Lehrmann's version made little sense, asking if he had really just been "acting like a Buddhist monk" and writing on Post-it Notes in a nearby room as Ms Higgins lay naked.
Mr Lehrmann insisted that was what had happened.
He said he thought Ms Higgins had feared being fired after their early morning entry to Parliament House was declared a security breach and he was sacked.
Consistent with what defence barrister Steven Whybrow SC suggested to the jury at his trial, Mr Lehrmann told Seven he believed Ms Higgins had invented the rape claim in a bid to save her job.
Entire case 'f---ed'
The handling of Mr Lehrmann's case is now the subject of an independent inquiry, where authorities, including ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC, have come under fire.
In the interview aired on Sunday, Mr Lehrmann blasted Mr Drumgold over comments he made at the press conference where it was announced the case would be discontinued.
Mr Drumgold said the decision had been made because of fears for Ms Higgins' mental health, declaring he still believed there were reasonable prospects of obtaining a conviction.
"He took my opportunity for a not guilty verdict away from me, but he then told Australia, 'I still could've won it'. What the f---?" Mr Lehrmann said.
Mr Lehrmann also pointed to evidence at the inquiry that police had not wanted to charge him until Mr Drumgold advised them to do so.
Investigators had been of the opinion there was insufficient evidence.
"The entire case was f---ed," Mr Lehrmann said.
More civil action possible
In terms of what is next, Mr Lehrmann acknowledged half of Australians, or probably more, would still believe he was a rapist despite his criminal case now being over.
He also would not rule out taking further defamation action, having already taken action against the media, complaining that some people seemed to consider themselves judge, jury and executioner.
He explained that he wanted to pay back his mother and other people who had supported him during the past two years.
"I'm not seeking mansions or a celebrity lifestyle," Mr Lehrmann said.
His only previously reported comments came from an interview he gave investigating police, his testimony during defamation proceedings, and quotes he recently gave The Australian newspaper.
Asked by Mr Bartlett why he had chosen to speak to Seven, Mr Lehrmann said he wanted to do "a bit of setting the record straight".
"We've had enough shit shoved down our throats," he said.
