source : the age
Ben Roberts-Smith has applied to the court to vary his strict bail conditions to allow him to move house and spend more time with his two teenage daughters.
Walking outside of Downing Centre Local Court ahead of his bail variation on Tuesday, Roberts-Smith said his family was top of mind.
“The focus of today is to be able to see my kids,” he said.
He is also expected to apply for a bail variation to attend a number of ceremonial and social events, including the June 22 opening of Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
It is expected that some prosecution witnesses may be in attendance at the event, whom Roberts-Smith is not permitted to speak to under his bail conditions.
The former SAS soldier was arrested in dramatic scenes at Sydney Airport on April 7, five days before he had planned to move abroad, and charged with five counts of war crime – murder over the alleged executions of Afghan detainees. Roberts-Smith denies the allegations.
The arrest came after a five-year investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Office of the Special Investigator (OSI).
He was released on bail after spending 10 days in custody at Silverwater Correctional Complex. As part of his bail conditions, he was required to surrender his passport, report to police three times a week, live at a Queensland residence, and use only one phone and one laptop, the details of which must be provided to police.
He has also been restricted from contacting witnesses or those involved with the upcoming proceedings.
His bail variation will be heard on Tuesday afternoon by Judge Susan Horan.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
