Ben Roberts-Smith Federal Court

2022 - 3 - 3

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Ben Roberts-Smith told soldiers to lie about him kicking Afghan off ... (The Guardian)

Former SAS soldier tells defamation trial Roberts-Smith directed troops on false story about unarmed, handcuffed man.

Person 4 reiterated he was a reluctant witness, and was only giving evidence under force of subpoena. He told the court the trial – when it started last year – had been the most significant factor in causing him to be admitted to a mental health facility. Roberts-Smith has previously described the allegation as “completely false”. Person 4, a former SAS soldier, is giving evidence in Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial in Sydney. He has previously told the court he saw Roberts-Smith kick the handcuffed man – who was being held at the shoulder by another Australian soldier at the edge of a steep incline – in the chest, “catapulting him” off the cliff. They fought shoulder-to-shoulder at the 13-hour battle of Tizak in 2010, together silencing two Taliban machine gunners who were raking their patrol with fire, an action that earned Roberts-Smith the Victoria Cross, and Person 4 the Medal for Gallantry. Person 4 said he believed Roberts-Smith was a valorous soldier: “I have seen him perform heroic feats on the battlefield.”

SAS 'doesn't deserve lies and cowards', ex-soldier tells Roberts ... (The Sydney Morning Herald)

A former elite soldier has told the Federal Court that he is “not a liar or a coward” as he gave evidence in war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation ...

Person 4 objected to giving evidence about that topic earlier in the week on the grounds that he may incriminate himself. The Afghan man had “fallen”, he said, and he believed Person 11 fired further rounds. Mr Roberts-Smith was also nearby, Person 4 has said. The decorated former soldier said last year that Person 11 spotted the Afghan man and started firing, before he fired from behind his comrade. He denies all wrongdoing. The Federal Court has heard the man was later shot dead.

'Manipulated': Outburst in SAS trial (NEWS.com.au)

An SAS soldier, who testified Ben Roberts-Smith kicked an unarmed Afghan off a cliff, says he was “manipulated” by Mr Roberts-Smith's enemies under ...

Mr Roberts-Smith said he “understood” why Person 4 was upset, Mr Moses suggested, but Person 4 could not recall. He could also not recall whether he told Mr Roberts-Smith he had “said things you shouldn’t have” to Person 7. “Do you have a suspicion that Person 7 told the media about the story (about the cliff kick) you told him in 2016?” Mr Moses asked. Person 4 told the court he had a conversation with one of Mr Roberts-Smith’s known enemies within the SAS, a soldier known as Person 7, about the “cliff kick” at Darwan. Mr Moses asked Person 4 if he was suggesting Mr Roberts-Smith was a liar or a coward. A decorated SAS soldier known as Person 4 told the court, this week, he witnessed Mr Roberts-Smith kick Mr Jan in the chest during the Darwan raid.

SAS witness felt manipulated by soldiers (The Advocate)

A former SAS sergeant says he is no liar or coward and feels manipulated by disgruntled soldiers who wanted to bring Ben Roberts-Smith down.

SAS witness felt manipulated by soldiers (The Singleton Argus)