Victoria Cross awardee Ben Roberts-Smith has done what would be unthinkable for almost any other defendant in a murder case, let alone one of the most followed in Australian history: a two-hour, no-question-is-off-the-record interview with a top broadcast journalist.
The former Special Air Service corporal recorded a two-hour interview with Sydney radio host Ben Fordham at the 4BC studios in Brisbane last week, according to a source.
Sections will be broadcast over several days next week on the Tapt Media network, which includes 2GB in Sydney, 3AW in Melbourne and 6PR in Perth.
Tapt plans to upload a full, videotaped version to YouTube. The interview covers the charges against Mr Roberts-Smith, his arrest in front of his family on April 7, the Brereton Inquiry into war crimes, the split within the SAS regiment over the allegations, friends killed in the war and the battle for which Mr Roberts-Smith was recognised with the highest decoration for bravery, according to the source.
News of the interview was first reported by Nine’s metropolitan newspapers, which have prosecuted the case in print that Mr Roberts-Smith ordered prisoners executed in Afghanistan and killed some himself. He has denied the charges, which are stuck in the New South Wales Local Court system and are likely to take years to get to trial.
Murder defendants rarely speak to media outlets, let alone agree to in-depth questioning about the allegations against them. Prosecutors will be able to use any comments made to Fordham in court.
Mr Roberts-Smith’s decision appears to be part of a public relations campaign to convince the public, and potential jurors, that he is a good person who risked his life while serving in an elite unit fighting the Taliban insurgency.
In court his lead lawyer, Karen Espiner, is challenging a request by prosecutors to keep secret the identity of 42 of the most-important potential witnesses.
On Sunday he appeared at a public commemoration at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the start of the war. After the event he spoke to journalists and agreed to be photographed with fans, including Phillip Thompson, the shadow minister for defence personnel.
On Monday he spoke at the opening of apartments in Brisbane purchased by businesswoman Gina Rinehart for use by military veterans who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. Also at the small event was another of the four living Australian recipients of the Victoria Cross, Daniel Keighran.
The oldest Australian awardee of the famous medal, Keith Payne, told The Australian in 2024 he felt sorry for Mr Roberts-Smith and “what happens in war, stays in war”.
A recent survey found that Mr Roberts-Smith is particularly popular with supporters of One Nation, which has proposed changing the law to make it more difficult to prosecute alleged war crimes.
