Australiaâs most decorated Afghanistan war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith told a former SAS soldier that when he âblew the brains outâ of a young Afghan man it was âthe most beautiful thing [heâd] ever seenâ, a court has heard.
A SAS sergeant testifying for Fairfax Media in the Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial has admitted he told an investigative reporter the decorated veteran machine-gunned a disabled man during the war in Afghanistan, but insisted everything he said was true.
It was common knowledge that SAS soldiers sought the retraction of a âbulls–tâ commendation awarded to war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith for acts of bravery in Afghanistan in 2012, a trial in a defamation case against Fairfax has heard.
Fairfax has accused senior counsel representing Ben Roberts-Smith of using cross-examination to try to identify the source of allegedly defamatory articles that accused the former SAS soldier of war crimes.
Eight rounds of ammunition were unloaded into the chest, neck and face of an Afghan man after decorated war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith told a subordinate to, âShoot him or I willâ, a court has heard.
A serving SAS soldier has reiterated his testimony that Ben Roberts-Smith was involved in the killing of two Afghan detainees, telling a judge he was afraid that ‘dobbing in’ the decorated war veteran would lead to his demotion.
Australiaâs most decorated Afghanistan war veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, ordered the shooting of an Afghani man during an Easter Sunday patrol, a court has heard.
Trial plans in accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smithâs defamation case against Nine have hit another roadblock because of COVID-19 restrictions, less than two weeks before the hearing is set to resume, with the media giant now suggesting a move to Western Australia.
A judge has adjourned trial in the defamation case by accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith to early 2022, saying relocation was not practical after COVID-19 restrictions prevented Fairfaxâs witnesses travelling to Sydney.
Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith is fighting to shield medical records Fairfax says should be made public to âsafeguard open justiceâ, as trial in his defamation case against the publisher faces further delay due to COVID-19 border restrictions.