Ben Roberts-Smith: From Hero to Accused

Ben Roberts-Smith: From Hero to Accused

From The Trial: Australia by The Crime Desk

April 16, 2026 · 27 min · Season 2 · Episode 27

About this episode

The episode discusses the criminal allegations against Ben Roberts-Smith, a decorated Australian soldier, and the legal proceedings surrounding his case.

For years, Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated soldier, has been celebrated for his service in Afghanistan. But now, the man who was once considered a national hero is at the centre of serious criminal allegations. He has been charged with five counts of the war crime of murder, and is in custody in New South Wales' Silverwater Correctional Complex after arrest by the Australian Federal Police last week. But Ben Roberts-Smith has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In this episode, Wayne is joined by veteran court reporter Stephen Gibbs to unpack how we got here, from explosive media investigations and a bruising civil trial, to a complex and unprecedented criminal prosecution that could take years to resolve. The Trial Australia is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit thecrimedesk.com for more information. Follow us on Tiktok @DailyMailCrime Follow us on instagram @TheTrialPod Subscribe to our YouTube channel @TheCrimeDesk Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive…

People in this episode

Host: Wayne

Guest: Stephen Gibbs

Topics covered

  • war crimes
  • military service
  • criminal allegations
  • media investigations
  • court trial

Keywords

  • Ben Roberts-Smith
  • war crime
  • murder charges
  • court reporter
  • civil trial

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Australian Federal Police, The Crime Desk, Daily Mail

Places: New South Wales, Silverwater Correctional Complex

More episodes of The Trial: Australia

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Trial: Australia podcast page.