<p>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.</p><br><p>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.&nbsp;But Ben Roberts-Smith has consistently denied any wrongdoing.</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick,&nbsp;<a href="https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/260205?list=104" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">listener survey</a>. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.</p><br><p>Terms and conditions</p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.</li><li>Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive</li><li>The Promotion is free to enter by&nbsp;<a href="https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/260205?list=104" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">visiting</a>, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).</li><li>There will be one (1) winner.</li><li>The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher</li><li>Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&amp;Cs found here:&nbsp;<a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CJames.Greenwood%40dailymail.co.uk%7C040ff26a20d6460353eb08dea05969f4%7C0f3a4c644dc54a768d4152d85ca158a5%7C0%7C0%7C639124503048937558%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=OSLXMmfUZRIznR8DWKradmGGrI446IrRIQ9Ly9tXFHw%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/</a></li><li>Full T&amp;Cs apply,&nbsp;<a href="https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/260205/TandCs.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here</a>&nbsp;to read them.</li></ul><p><br></p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>Follow us on Tiktok @DailyMailCrime</p><br><p>Follow us on instagram @TheTrialPod</p><br><p>Subscribe to our YouTube channel @TheCrimeDesk</p><br><p>Click <a href="https://link.news.dailymail.co.uk/join/4w5/crime-desk-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=organic_editorial&amp;utm_campaign=conversion_newsletter&amp;utm_term=crime_newsletter_greenhill_paper&amp;utm_budgetpot=organic&amp;_gl=1*1yaqvjr*_gcl_au*MTA5NTg1MzguMTc3NDA1NDU5OA.." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Email us <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></p><br><p>Whatsapp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)</p><br><p>Presenter: Wayne Flower</p><p>Producer: Sam Morris</p><p>Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham</p><p>Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini</p><br><p>A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.</p><p>Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>