Revelations From Ben Roberts-Smith’s Defamation Trial Just Keep Getting Worse
Ben Roberts-Smith’s squadron was given glass replicas of a murdered Afghan man’s prosthetic leg.
Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation case against Nine newspapers has dropped yet another bombshell.
The former special forces soldier has faced cross-examination by Nine’s legal team for three days now over allegations, reported by Nine, suggesting that the war-time hero was actually a war criminal. Roberts-Smith denies the claims.
Yesterday, Roberts-Smith returned to the witness stand after receiving a negative COVID test and was asked about claims that he murdered an unarmed Afghan prisoner, and encouraged the murder of another.
Roberts-Smith told the court that this wasn’t the true version of events, and that he had killed a man, who happened to have a prosthetic leg, because the man was a potential threat to their 2009 campaign. He denied inventing a cover story to conceal the alleged crimes.
Robert-Smith denied drinking from the prosthetic leg himself but admitted he cheered while other soldiers did. He also revealed that every member of his squadron was given an engraved glass prosthetic leg to imitate the Afghan man he shot.
When asked how he came to own one, Mr Roberts-Smith said he couldn’t recall who gave it to them.
Staff Xmas gifts sorted. https://t.co/mhgGu0vslr
— marquelawyers (@marquelawyers) June 21, 2021
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age from Nine, and The Canberra Times, now under separate ownership, all reported that Roberts-Smith participated in unlawful killings during his deployment in Afghanistan — claims the soldier profusely denies. Nine and The Canberra Times are relying on a truth defence.
I keep forgetting Ben Roberts-Smith actually initiated this hearing. https://t.co/lRiPoghSCx
— Benjamin Millar (@BenjaminMillar) June 15, 2021
The trial continues.