Former departmental liaison officer Chris Payne told the Federal Court on Monday that he gave a statement to police after he watched Brittany Higgins’ interview on The Project in February 2021.
He also told the court he read media reports about Ms Higgins’ rape allegations which could have impacted his memory.
Mr Payne told the court during his evidence-in-chief that he had a conversation with Ms Higgins in the days after the alleged assault, on March 23, 2019, during which she detailed the incident.
During cross-examination with Bruce Lehrmann’s barrister Steven Whybrow SC, he conceded he didn’t know when that conversation actually took place.
He also told the court he kept his distance from staffers, like Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann, because he was a public servant rather than a political advisor.
When asked whether he got along with Mr Lehrmann, Mr Payne replied: ‘I never had a standup argument with Mr Lehrmann, if that’s what you’re suggesting.’
He was also asked why he told the court that Ms Brown said she was going to try and get access to the security footage, when he didn’t tell police that information – nor did he say it during Mr Lehrmann’s criminal trial last year.
Mr Whybrow suggested he was getting confused with media reports and did not have an independent recollection of Ms Brown saying those words.
He said: ‘Can I suggest that that’s another statement that, here today, is the first time you’ve ever mentioned or suggested that Ms Brown said to you, “I’m going to try and get access to the CCTV”.’
‘You are aware that Ms Higgins has made a number of allegations that she had conversations with Ms Brown about CCTV, aren’t you?’
‘Is it possible that you are confusing this conversation with subsequent accounts you’ve heard?’
‘I don’t believe so,’ Mr Payne said.
Mr Payne agreed that he did not give that information to police, but maintained he did recall Ms Brown talking him about getting access to the security footage.
He was also asked whether he had a box of Roses chocolates on his desk in the week of March 23, 2019.
The court previously heard Ms Higgins took a box of Roses from his desk the morning after the alleged assault, and finished them.
Mr Whybrow said: ‘Ms Higgins had reported that she found chocolates on your desk.’
Mr Payne told the court that police asked him about the chocolates.
Mr Whybrow said: ‘You said [to police] that you certainly did not.’
Mr Payne said: ‘Yes, if I had chocolates I would have eaten them.’