Bruce Lehrmann's attempt to obtain a restraining order against a Daily Mail journalist has been dismissed by a Hobart magistrates court. The former Liberal staffer had accused senior reporter Karleigh Smith of stalking him in Tasmania.
The case centred on a July article by Smith titled 'We found the despised party boy hiding at the end of the Earth', which detailed Lehrmann's life in Tasmania. Smith's lawyer, Nic Edmondson, informed the court on Thursday that the matter had been resolved and dismissed.
Magistrate Jackie Hartnett thanked both parties for their efforts and noted there was no application for costs. Lehrmann was not present, but his lawyer Zali Burrows attended via Zoom.
Burrows had previously argued that Smith and a photographer 'dangerously' followed Lehrmann in a car, including on a dirt road, and that the incident impacted his mental health. Edmondson countered that a journalistic exemption applied under the legal definition of stalking.
In a separate case, Lehrmann faces potential arrest if he fails to appear in court in early December over allegations of stealing a 4WD in southern Tasmania. He missed a scheduled appearance on 7 November and was ordered to provide a medical certificate.
