Lawyer for Bruce Lehrmann tells court ex-political staffer ‘still deciding’ if rape case trial will be before jury or judge

A trial has been scheduled for former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann, accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Toowoomba more than five years ago. The 30-year-old faces two charges of rape stemming from alleged incidents in October 2021. Police allege Lehrmann met the woman at a local strip club called The Vault while she was out with friends. He reportedly gave a false name before later identifying himself as Bruce. Police said the pair then caught a taxi to a friend’s house, where consensual sex and cocaine use occurred. Later that morning, the woman alleged Mr Lehrmann sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions without her consent. Lehrmann, who has denied the allegations, is on bail. He has yet to formally enter a plea but has previously indicated he will contest the charges. At a court call-over in Toowoomba District Court on Wednesday, Judge Deborah Richards set the trial to begin at the end of the year. Defence solicitor Zali Burrows told the court it has not yet been decided whether Mr Lehrmann will be tried by a jury or before a judge alone. “It may be (before a jury). Mr Lehrmann is still deciding,” Ms Burrows said. Mr Lehrmann, formerly a Canberra-based Liberal staffer, was charged in January 2023 and committed for trial in July 2024.