A former Seven network producer has detailed his dealings with Bruce Lehrmann and testified in court that the former political staffer bought cocaine and tried to order sex workers to a hotel.
Taylor Auerbach appeared in court to give evidence in Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
Justice Michael Lee had been due to hand down his decision on Thursday, but the case was reopened to hear evidence about the circumstances surrounding an interview with Lehrmann on Seven’s Spotlight program.
Auerbach, who previously worked on the program, testified about a meeting with Lehrmann in 2023 while trying to secure the interview.
He said he was assigned to act as Lehrmann’s “babysitter” and his role was to build a relationship with the prospective interviewee.
Auerbach told the court Lehrmann had bought a bag of cocaine while they ate dinner at Franca restaurant in Sydney before heading to the Meriton Hotel.
Former Seven network Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach has given evidence in the defamation case brought by ex-Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann against the Ten network and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
“When we got upstairs to the room, he pulled that [cocaine] out and started to put it on a plate and then started talking to me about a prospective Spotlight story and his desire to order prostitutes to the Meriton that night and began Googling of series of websites to try and make that happen,” Auerbach said.
Auerbach claimed Lehrmann was then reimbursed by Seven for his “per diems” during the trip to Sydney.
He was cross-examined by Lehrmann’s barrister Matthew Richardson, who suggested Lehrmann had not been reimbursed by Seven for the per diems.
Auerback disagreed, but conceded he had only seen invoices from Lehrmann and had not seen a payment receipt.
Auerbach also said he had paid for Thai massages for Lehrmann on a Seven corporate credit card.
Richardson suggested he was motivated to include this in his affidavit to “humiliate” Lehrmann. Auerbach denied this.
Seven has labelled the allegations “false and misleading”.
The matter will continue in court on Friday.
–Additional reporting by AAP
