Ben Roberts-Smith defamation appeal: no evidence ‘blooding the rookie’ could only mean procuring a murder, court told
by Elias Visontay from World news | The Guardian on (#6JDDH)
Lawyer for Roberts-Smith argues phrase did not necessarily indicate illegitimate killing and casts doubt on evidence from Afghan locals
Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation trial was given no evidence that blooding the rookie" could only mean procuring a murder, the war veteran's lawyers have argued.
On Tuesday morning, Roberts-Smith's barrister, Bret Walker SC, raised issue with Justice Anthony Besanko's finding in June that Roberts-Smith, while a member of the Special Air Service Regiment in 2009, ordered a less experienced soldier to execute an elderly, unarmed Afghan man in order to blood the rookie".
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