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It has been a bombshell day in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial, with a former solider considering pulling the pin on evidence and a serving SAS member forced to admit he met with two Nine Newspaper journalists, who the war hero is suing.
New documents also released today have given insight into Roberts-Smith’s affair with a woman who has accused him of domestic violence.
The woman, known as Person 17, claimed she was assaulted by the decorated soldier at Hotel Realm in Canberra in 2018.
But the Victoria Cross recipient is adamant his mistress fell down the stairs at an event they attended at Parliament House.
Prior to that night, text messages between the pair reveal their fling was flirtatious.
“Your amazing (sic), you make me feel like I never have before,” Roberts-Smith wrote to her.
“I know. As hard I find being away from you – it’s the lying and pretending that’s doing my head in,” she replied.
Then, a month after the event in Canberra, Roberts-Smith’s lover confronted his wife at the family home.
“What have you done, this is outright blackmail,” Roberts-Smith wrote to Person 17.
“If you love Emma (Robert-Smith’s wife) and genuinely want to fix your marriage then it needed to come out… You’ve been lying to everybody and it’s time to stop,” she replied.
The Federal Court also heard a stunning confession from a serving SAS member today, who was forced to admit he met with two Nine Newspaper journalist being sued by Roberts-Smith.
He claimed one of those catchups was a complete blur and denied sharing information about the VC winner.
In another dramatic twist, a former soldier is now considering pulling the pin on giving evidence.
The high-stakes trial resumes tomorrow.
Source: 9News
