Mr Roberts-Smith had been considered a national hero for having single-handedly overpowered Taliban machine-gunners who were attacking his Special Air Service (SAS) platoon, earning him Australia's highest military honour. The 110-day defamation trial cost up to an estimated A$25m ($16.3m, £13.2m). Mr Roberts-Smith has not commented since the ruling, but he is expected to appeal to the full bench of the federal court.

'A few people had done what we don't do, and that's talk out of school,' he said, according to the report. He also used his private detective to investigate another former soldier and his family, and was captured on tape lambasting soldiers who break the code of silence. Mr Roberts-Smith went to the extent of sending a legal threat to Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest woman, warning that an ex-soldier - Ms Rinehart's relative - would be sued for speaking ill of him, Nine Newspapers reported. More articles from the reporters at the centre of the trial, published in the days following the judgement, also allege further intimidating behaviour. Mr Roberts-Smith had used a private investigator to mail threats to those considering testifying against him, something Judge Besanko said may constitute a criminal offence - either perverting the course of justice or using a postal service to menace, harass or cause offence. He further found that the Victoria Cross recipient invoked a special forces code of silence to intimidate witnesses, and also smeared and threatened others. Saying that the 44-year-old was 'not an honest and reliable witness', he added: 'I have difficulty accepting the applicant's evidence on any disputed issue'. The judge delayed releasing the reasons for his judgement until Monday, to allow Australian authorities time to ensure it did not inadvertently divulge national security secrets.īut Judge Besanko found the claims that Mr Roberts-Smith had murdered unarmed prisoners and civilians while serving in Afghanistan were 'substantially true'. Mr Roberts-Smith claimed the papers ruined his life with their reports that he had broken the moral and legal rules of war.

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