A key witness for Ben Roberts-Smith has continued to deny the pair colluded over evidence related to their deployment in Afghanistan.
The decorated ex-soldier is suing Nine newspapers over a series of articles he says falsely portrayed him as a war criminal, and denies the allegations.
Nine is mounting a truth defence and aims to prove the allegations in Sydney’s Federal Court.
During a second day of cross-examination from Nine’s barrister, Nicholas Owens SC, the witness, codenamed Person 5, agreed he sent the Victoria Cross recipient a drone image of a compound called Whiskey 108, but denied trying to get their stories straight over what happened there.
“I don’t have to get my story straight; I know exactly what happened,” the witness said.
Nine alleges Person 5 ordered another soldier, known as Person 4, to be “blooded” at Whiskey 108 by making his first kill.
Person 5 denies the order, which would have been unlawful because the Afghan who died was a detainee.
Person 5 was asked by Mr Owens if he had ever referred to Person 4 and another soldier, Person 8, as “rookies” or “rookie fucks”.
Mr Owens suggested Person 4 was “the rookie” during their 2009 deployment and that the new “rookie” during a deployment the following year was Person 8.
“No,” Person 5 responded.
Mr Owens suggested to Person 5 his denials that he ever used the term or heard it during the deployments were false and intended to make Mr Roberts-Smith’s case seem more plausible.
“That’s not correct,” Person 5 responded.
Mr Owens then made reference to what he said was a piece of paper whichxjmtzyw had been pinned to a patrol room door during Person 5’s 2010 deployment.
“It was divided into six squares, and each square had the name of the patrol member … only, instead of Person 8’s name, the word ‘Rookie’ appeared,” Mr Owens said.
“I don’t remember that,” Person 5 responded.
Mr Owens then asked the court to be temporarily closed to the public.
When open court resumed, Mr Owens continued questioning Person 5 over his contacts with Mr Roberts-Smith and other witnesses.
The hearing continues.
