Ben Roberts-Smith to remain in jail after bail hearing over war crimes charges | Ben Roberts-Smith
Ben Roberts-Smith will remain in jail after his legal representatives rejected his bail application on Wednesday, a day after Australia’s most decorated soldier was charged with war crimes.
The former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross recipient was expected to make his first court appearance on Wednesday after being charged with five war crimes, including murder, relating to crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan between April 2009 and October 2012.
But Roberts-Smith, who spent Tuesday night in custody at Sydney’s Silverwater correctional center after being arrested at Sydney airport in the morning, did not attend a virtual bail hearing in New South Wales local court on Wednesday.
Roberts-Smith’s legal representative Jordan Portokalli said on Wednesday that no application for bail would be made and asked for the matter to be listed for hearing in Sydney’s Downing Center local court “as soon as possible”.
Judge Lucas asked Swan to hear the matter on Wednesday but conceded it might be a “pipe dream”.
The judge agreed, saying he had no access to the court’s diary, and ordered the matter to be listed for brief consideration at the Downing Center on June 4 in eight weeks’ time. Portokalli and the prosecutor’s office did not object.
Unless Roberts-Smith’s legal team can arrange an earlier hearing directly through the local court, the ex-soldier will remain in custody until then.
Roberts-Smith has always denied any wrongdoing.
