‘See my children’: BRS’ latest court move
Judge Susan Horan granted the change for a formal ceremony, while prosecutors opposed a separate social function and raised witness-contact concerns.
- On Tuesday, Judge Susan Horan granted decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith a bail variation to attend the Anzac Hall opening at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on June 22, as a Victoria Cross recipient.
- The 47-year-old former SAS soldier faces five counts of war crime murder relating to alleged executions of Afghan detainees; he was released on $250,000 surety in April after spending 10 days in custody at Silverwater Correctional Complex.
- Judge Horan denied requests to attend a military graduation and after-party, citing risks of unauthorized contact with alleged war criminal Oliver Schulz and calling the social events an "uncontrolled social function."
- Prosecutor Simon Buchen SC warned the event posed risks of "inadvertently" breaching bail conditions regarding Crown witnesses, though prosecutors did not oppose the War Memorial visit with appropriate conditions imposed.
- Further hearings next week will decide Roberts-Smith's request to relocate his home address and modify police reporting requirements, while the veteran has consistently rejected all allegations and vowed to clear his name in court.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Roberts-Smith Appeals for Chance to Move Home and Be With Kids
Decorated former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith will apply to a court to move home and be with his children while he fights allegations of war crimes. The 47-year-old was arrested in April and charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. He appeared before Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyers applied to vary his bail. “Today is just about …
‘The focus is to see my family’: Ben Roberts-Smith wants restrictions eased
The former SAS soldier was arrested in dramatic scenes at Sydney airport on April 7, five days before he had planned to move abroad, and charged with five counts of war crime – murder over the alleged executions of Afghan detainees. Roberts-Smith denies the allegations
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