Ben Roberts-Smith’s commander told him to prepare for witch hunt in inquiry into alleged war crimes

A former SAS soldier told Ben Roberts-Smith to prepare for an Australian military inquiry into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan as it was a witch hunt, he told a court.

The war veteran’s former patrol commander codenamed Person Five returned to the Federal Court on Thursday to continue his evidence on behalf of his good friend.

The witness was granted a certificate of immunity by Justice Anthony Besanko to speak about a potential offence he committed under Australian law in June 2018.

From the United States Person Five admitted he sent the Victoria Cross recipient a confidential document about evidence he gave to the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force.

‘I wanted to complain about the treatment and that was the avenue I took.’

One month earlier after his interview with the IGADF, Person Five spoke to his former second-in-command.

‘I told him to prepare himself, it was a witch hunt.’

He said it looked like another comrade who has given evidence in the trial, Person 18, had been ‘dragged in as well’.

The former SAS corporal is suing for defamation The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald over reports claiming he committed war crimes in Afghanistan including murder, and acts of bullying and domestic violence.

The 43-year-old denies all claims of wrongdoing, while the mastheads are defending them as true.

Person Five on Thursday recounted the extensive documentation following the 2010 battle of Tizak for which Mr Roberts-Smith was awarded the VC.

The ‘after action report’ was viewed by all troop members and was revised up to seven times to ensure everyone agreed the details were correct, he said.

The former patrol commander says the fog of war and personnel in different locations led to different angles and ideas of what occurred.

He recalled an Australian general attended after hearing about the extensive onslaught the SAS soldiers had fought through, and said: ‘What the f*** were you thinking’?

‘Doing my job,’ he recollected responding.

Following Mr Roberts-Smith’s award of the highest honour, media articles surfaced of alleged bullying almost immediately, he said.

Person Five recalled a barbecue sometime in 2011 attended by other squadmates and their spouses where the wife of Person Four approached him.

‘She thought she was going to chest poke me a little bit we say in the military,’ about why her husband deserved an award, he said.

The former SAS corporal (pictured with ex-wife Emma) is suing for defamation The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald over reports claiming he committed war crimes in Afghanistan including murder, and acts of bullying and domestic violence

‘I told her to wind her neck in, which means to mind your own business.’

Person Four earlier told the court the battle of Tizak where he fought alongside Mr Roberts-Smith was the ‘highlight of my professional career’ with both soldiers’ performance equally outstanding.

But he felt the award was later politicised for a good news story.

Another soldier dubbed Person Seven has testified he believed Mr Roberts-Smith’s VC citation for his actions at Tizak contained ‘lies and embellishments’.

Mr Roberts-Smith’s legal counsel have argued Person Seven’s and a handful of other ‘bitter’ claims stem from jealous associates spiteful that he is one of few Australian recipients of the VC since 1970.

The trial continues.

Roberts-Smith is pictured in full battle kit about an hour and a half after the action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross at Tizak in Afghanistan in June 2010