Lip reader provides evidence against Bruce Lehrmann
A lip-reading expert has provided key evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation trial against Network Ten, revealing what he believes was said between Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins on the night of the alleged rape.
British lip reader Tim Reedy, a forensic lip reader who has previously worked for The Sunday Times to translate video of Royals speaking at funerals and weddings, has been grilled after deciphering what was said between the pair at a pub in Canberra.
Reedy, who became profoundly deaf as a child, claimed that Bruce Lehrmann told Brittany Higgins that several drinks on a table on the night of her alleged rape were “all hers, all hers”.
He explained he was “very certain that this is what was said” and the phrases were “more than 50 per cent” accurate.
Mr Lehrmann’s barrister Steve Whybrow posed a series of questions over his claim that his client had said “Drink that all now”, and that Ms Higgins had said “I don’t want to”.
“What I wanted to ask you, consistent with what you say in your appendix about how you go about lip reading, you took into account the context, which included your assessment that the man was plying her with drinks, is that correct?” Mr Whybrow asked.
Reedy stood by his assessment, sharing that he he had watched the video intently over a three-day period, saying he was able to use Apple technology to “fine tune” the images and had “the luxury” of going back and watching the footage repeatedly.
At the conclusion of Mr Reedy’s evidence, Mr Lehrmann’s barrister Steve Whybrow argued it should not be admitted as evidence.
Justice Lee disagreed with Mr Whybrow, saying: “I accept that lip reading is not perfect, but the guide for the admissibility of expert evidence is not a council of perfection. One has to take areas of specialised knowledge as one finds them.”
“I do not think I should exclude the evidence. But the matters raised by Mr Whybrow are best seen through the prism of the ultimate weight to be given to the material. Accordingly I accept the tender of the material.”
In the opening days of the trial, Network Ten barrister Matt Collins KC flagged flagged the lip reader's evidence, as he put to Mr Lehrmann some of the lip-reader's claims during cross examination.
“You said to her ‘Drink that all now’, Dr Collins suggested.
“I would just completely disagree with that,’’ Mr Lehrmann replied.
“She responded, ‘I don’t want to’?” Collins asked.
“I don’t recall that ever taking place, no,’’ Mr Lehrmann said.
“You were encouraging Ms Higgins to get drunk,” Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC said during cross-examination.
“No,” Lehrmann replied.
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