EXCLUSIVE: Something to smile about, Bruce? Cheery Lehrmann beams as he hits a trendy Italian restaurant with a mate and helps elderly woman up stairs… just hours after top prosecutor in his case suddenly takes leave from his job
Bruce Lehrmann was all smiles as he visited a trendy Italian restaurant in Sydney‘s east just hours after the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold temporarily stepped down.
Mr Drumgold announced he was taking leave on Thursday morning as an inquiry into the handling of the rape allegations made by Brittany Higgins against the former Liberal staffer continues.
Mr Lehrmann was spotted at Bondi Trattoria at about 1.30pm, having ditched his signature dark suit and glasses in favour of jeans and a white dress shirt, as he met mate Harry Hughes.
Bruce Lehrmann ditched his trademark dark suits and glasses for jeans and a white dress shirt as he stepped out with a mate in Bondi on Thursday (pictured)
Mr Lehrmann met mate Harry Hughes, the nephew of former PM Malcolm Turnbull (pictured)
An elderly woman trying to get up the stairs using a walker was assisted by Mr Lehrmann
Hughes, the nephew of former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, chatted on his phone as Mr Lehrmann helped an elderly woman with a walker up the stairs.
The pair then settled in at a window table and looked relaxed as they laughed and chatted over coffees.
Mr Drumgold has come under pressure following questioning at the independent inquiry into how the ACT justice system handled rape allegations made against Mr Lehrmann by another ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.
An ACT government spokeswoman confirmed Mr Drumgold had asked to take leave.
Anthony Williamson, who was the deputy DPP, has been appointed by the ACT government executive to act in the role of the territory’s top prosecutor until June 13.
ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury told ABC Radio Mr Drumgold would be on leave for four weeks and expected him to return in mid-June.
‘In terms of the overall office of the director of public prosecutions, it’s business as usual,’ he said.
Hours earlier the ACT’s top prosecutor Shane Drumgold stepped down from his role
Mr Drumgold has been under pressure following questioning by an inquiry into the handling of rape allegations against Mr Lehrmann
The pair settled into a window table and looked relaxed as they joked and chatted
The case against Mr Lehrmann, who has denied the allegations, was dropped last year
Mr Drumgold last week told the Sofronoff inquiry his team had ‘closed ranks’ against police because they believed officers had lost objectivity in the matter.
He has served as DPP since January 2019 and worked in the DPP office since 2002.
The sexual assault charge against Mr Lehrmann, who had denied the allegations, was dropped last year.
The inquiry continues next week, when police are expected to give evidence.
Mr Drumgold was questioned intensely at the inquiry last week, and eventually conceded he no longer thought there was political interference in the case.
Mr Drumgold said the issues he had were with the police’s ineptitude in handling the investigation, the inquiry heard.
On December 2, when the case was dropped, Mr Drumgold told reporters: ‘During the investigation and trial, as a sexual assault complainant, Ms Higgins has faced a level of personal attacks that I have not seen in over 20 years of doing this work.’
‘She has done so with bravery, grace and dignity, and it is my hope that this will now stop, and Ms Higgins will now be able to heal.’
Mr Drumgold (pictured) is expected to return to the role on June 13
Mr Drumgold has come under pressure following questioning at the independent inquiry into how the ACT justice system handled rape allegations made against Bruce Lehrmann by another ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins (pictured)
