Key witness in Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial acted ‘like a drunken fool’ toward police, says magistrate

Federal police sought former soldier’s phone as part of investigation into war crimes potentially committed in Afghanistan

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One of the key witnesses in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation trial has pleaded guilty to hindering a commonwealth official after he acted “like a drunken fool” in refusing to hand over his phone, wanted as part of a police war crimes investigation.

In April last year, Australian Federal Police sought the phone of the former soldier as part of a broader investigation into war crimes potentially committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

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