The alleged theft of a Toyota Prado took place in Mountain River, a rural area in southern Tasmania, on 20 November.
Lehrmann and his lawyer, Zali Burrows, appeared in Hobart Magistrates Court via phone. The charge of motor vehicle stealing was brought against Lehrmann by Gail Denise Oates.
Burrows considered applying for a stay of proceedings, claiming that Oates had committed a contempt of court by giving a media interview that contradicted her official statement. Burrows also expressed concerns over a redacted police statement made by Oates, stating that the name of the person accused of stealing the car had been intentionally removed.
Prosecutor Bunewat Keo acknowledged that Oates had not made further contact with the media and that Burrows had access to all case-file information. Magistrate Reg Marron stated that entering a plea would trigger the release of additional information to Burrows, and the matter would eventually go to a hearing.
Burrows confirmed that Lehrmann was willing to enter a plea of not guilty, ensuring that the matter would not be delayed. The court estimated that the hearing would likely take three days.
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Lehrmann’s bail was continued, with the matter to be heard again on 19 September. Lehrmann did not answer the initial phone call from the court, which prompted a rebuke from Marron. Marron emphasized the importance of Lehrmann being available on the line.
Lehrmann has been involved in various court matters in Australia in recent years. His trial for allegedly raping his colleague Brittany Higgins at Canberra’s parliament house in 2019 was abandoned due to juror misconduct. Lehrmann has consistently denied the allegations and has also appealed a federal court defamation finding that concluded he likely raped Higgins.
