Brittany Higgins shows off her lavish new life after payout, David Sharaz does not miss ‘9 to 5’

Brittany Higgins has moved into a lavish Gold Coast home after receiving a large, confidential settlement payout from the Federal government stemming from her claims she was raped at Parliament House.

The former political staffer uploaded a series of photos to Instagram on Tuesday to show off the beachside property she now shares with her fiancé David Sharaz and their dog, Kingston.

‘Home sweet home,’ she captioned the post, which features a selfie and multiple images of a nearby beach and a now-deleted photo of a shiny Jeep parked out the front.

Ms Higgins also included a picture of her new living room, which is adorned with designer furniture – including a $500 white velvet mirror and a $330 decorative side table.

Her mother Kelly Higgins, who is a real estate agent, commented: ‘It’s a exactly what you deserve my angel.’

‘A beautiful home in a beautiful location. Lots of happy memories to be shared and made. Miss you already xx.’

Mr Sharaz, who left his job with Southern Cross Austereo in mid-February, posted his own photo of a beach near their new home with the caption: ‘No, I don’t miss the 9-5.’

David Sharaz, who recently quit his job in Brisbane, posted a photo of a beach near their new home – with the caption ‘No, I don’t miss the 9-5’

Ms Sharaz worked for Southern Cross Austereo for two years – first as a breakfast news reader, and then as part of Queensland news operations – before he suddenly left last month.

He later uploaded photos with colleagues at his farewell party. One tagged him in an Instagram post, with the caption: ‘Goodbye, my fav gossiper.’

While his LinkedIn profile still states that he works at the company’s Brisbane office, his Twitter bio has been edited to say ‘AWAY’.

After news of his sudden departure from the company was revealed, Ms Higgins urged her audience to ‘read between the lines’, adding: ‘No one walks away from employment without a job to walk into.

Ms Higgins announced in February that she would leave her home in Brisbane to finish her law degree at Bond University on the Gold Coast.

In December, she reached a compensation settlement with the Commonwealth for an undisclosed amount, after she tried to sue the Commonwealth for damages for sexual harassment, discrimination and negligence.

The month-long trial in the ACT Supreme Court against her alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann collapsed last October.

She had alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House after a night out in March 2019. He had pleaded not guilty and has continually denied the allegations.

Brittany Higgins posted a photo of her new living room, which features a $500 velvet mirror (pictured)

She also posted a photo of her fiance David Sharaz standing at their new home on the Gold Coast

The trial was aborted due to misconduct by a jury member. 

In December, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC dropped the case altogether, citing concerns for Ms Higgins’ mental health.

Last month, she refuted claims that her payout was worth $3million – insisting she received ‘far less’, and threatening legal action if the figure was repeated.

Mr Lehrmann has launched a defamation case against Channel 10, Lisa Wilkinson and news.com.au in the Federal Court for publishing stories about Ms Higgins’ allegations in February 2021.

He was not identified in the TV interview or online article, but he claims his family and former colleagues were able to identify him as the alleged rapist. 

Mr Lehrmann will be cross-examined in court for the first time later in March. 

Ms Higgins announced on Twitter that she is willing to give evidence at the trial.