Page:Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Trial Judgment).pdf/20

 IVMr Angus Llewellyn

27 Mr Angus Llewellyn has been a producer for The Project since 2019. He is employed by 7PM Company Pty Ltd, which provides Network Ten with production services for The Project.

28 Mr Llewellyn is highly experienced and has held various producer roles in radio, including at the ABC, Radio 2UE, and television programmes, including the Seven Network's Sunday Night; SBS's Dateline and Insight; and the ABC's Lateline.

29 Ms Wilkinson and Mr Llewellyn are both based in Sydney and have frequently worked together since about October 2019. They first met in about 2006 when Mr Llewellyn worked with Ms Wilkinson's husband.

B.2Publication of the Impugned Matters

30 On the morning of 15 February 2021, an article entitled "Young staffer Brittany Higgins says she was raped at Parliament House", authored by Ms Samantha Maiden (Maiden article), was published on the news.com.au website.

31 Mr Lehrmann became aware of the Maiden article around the time it was published. I have set out the relevant chronology in Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Limitation Extension) [2023] FCA 385 (limitation judgment) and do not propose to repeat it here.

32 It suffices to note that by 2pm that day, Mr Lehrmann had been informed that "government sources" were identifying him as the man accused of sexually assaulting Ms Higgins. His work supervisor, Mr Joshua Fett, informed Mr Lehrmann that Ms Rosie Lewis, a journalist at The Australian, had emailed Mr Fett to this effect.

33 That evening, Network Ten broadcast the Project programme, and republished it on the 10 Play website and The Project's YouTube channel shortly thereafter. Mr Lehrmann watched the broadcast live from his then solicitor's office.

34 It is common ground that the television broadcast attracted a national audience of over 725,000 people, from every state and territory. The publication on the 10 Play website had over 17,000 views, and the publication on YouTube had nearly 190,000 views. Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Trial Judgment) [2024] FCA 369