Bruce Lehrmann is ordered to pay Peter FitzSimons a surprising sum in latest ... trends now
Bruce Lehrmann has been ordered to pay Lisa Wilkinson's husband Peter FitzSimons $4,616 because the author was asked to supply evidence in the a defamation case against his wife and Network Ten.
Mr FitzSimons, who is a prominent newspaper columnist and historical non-fiction writer, was issued with a subpoena last year to produce documents relating to Brittany Higgins' $325,000 book deal with Penguin Random House.
He brokered her deal in a three-way auction between two other major publishers in early 2021.
Last July, he provided texts between himself and Ms Higgins about the deal ahead of Lehrmann's defamation battle in the Federal Court.
In March, Mr FitzSimons filed an application requesting that Justice Michael Lee order Lehrmann to cover expenses he incurred in complying with the subpoena.
He was not a witness in the defamation trial and did not attend the court in person during the hearing.
Lehrmann lost the case on April 15 when Justice Michael Lee found, on a civil scale, that he had raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House on March 23, 2019.
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured with Peter FitzSimons who is holding a copy of his book, 'The Opera House'
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured outside the Federal Court in February with her barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC
Justice Lee was going to deal with costs in a hearing on May 1, but that date was vacated in a court order on Friday when Lehrmann was ordered to pay the costs.
Mr FitzSimons' wife, Ms Wilkinson, will also have a
