Brittany Higgins sobbed throughout the Bruce Lehrmann trial

After a video of Brittany Higgins telling the jury that she had a “weird antagonistic connection” with the guy she claims sexually attacked her was shown to the jury, Brittany Higgins sobbed in a Canberra courtroom.

The event happened early on March 23, 2019, within the ministerial office of Linda Reynolds, who was the defence industry minister at the time, according to information provided by the Crown to the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Bruce Lehrmann has entered a not guilty plea to one count of engaging in sexual activity without permission.

The court was shown the footage of Ms. Higgins’ initial police interview after a jury of 16 was empanelled, Crown prosecutor Shane Drumgold, and defence attorney Steve Whybrow, both delivered opening statements.

According to the video, Ms. Higgins told police that Mr. Lehrmann was “territorial” during the brief time she worked with him and that she had a “weird antagonistic relationship” with the former employee.

She claimed to have consumed the “entire gauntlet” of booze at the after-work cocktails at the Dock on the Kingston waterfront hours before to the alleged attack, along with Mr. Lehrmann and a larger group of individuals.

She characterise Mr. Lehrmann as having dimples, being somewhat overweight, and donning the “typical Liberal clothing” of a Polo Ralph Lauren shirt and RM Williams shoes.

In the interview, she said that after arriving at Canberra nightclub 88mph, the group allegedly consumed shots before Mr. Lehrmann had to assist Ms. Higgins when she collapsed from a booth.

She says in the video, “That’s when it hit me how intoxicated I was,” adding that she thought their connection had become better over the course of the evening.

Police were informed by Ms. Higgins that she and Mr. Lehrmann had gone to Parliament House because he needed to pick up something, but she did not recall much of their time there.

Ms. Higgins told the jury that she couldn’t remember whether she was led to the sofa in the minister’s office or walked there voluntarily and passed out.

In her police statement, she described her next recollection as being jolted out of unconsciousness when Mr. Lehrmann’s knee struck her thigh so forcefully that it left a bruise.

“I next recall being on the couch as he was raping me. It appeared as though some time had elapsed at that moment. In the footage, woman can be heard telling authorities, “I felt like he was almost finished, that it had been going on for a while.

“I was unable to remove him. Throughout the entire procedure, I was in tears. I must have told him no half a dozen times, but he persisted.