Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Channel 7 after defamation loss

Ben Roberts-Smith has officially stepped down from his position at Channel 7 following a lengthy defamation battle with Nine newspapers.

Disgraced soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has officially stepped down from his position at Channel 7 after losing his landmark defamation trial.

Roberts-Smith, 44, had been on leave from his role as General Manager of Seven Queensland as he pursued a defamation lawsuit against Nine Newspapers.

On Thursday, the decorated war veteran lost his long-running defamation case against Nine.

Justice Anthony Besanko found that Nine had proven the truth of its claims that Roberts-Smith was a murderer and war criminal.

Following the court‘s decision, Seven CEO James Warburton sent an email to the staff on Friday, informing them that Roberts-Smith had tendered his resignation, which was accepted.

Warburton expressed gratitude towards Roberts-Smith for his dedication to Seven and extended well wishes for his future endeavours.

“We thank Ben for his commitment to Seven and wish him all the best,” he said.

Ben Roberts-Smith has officially stepped down from his position at Channel 7.

Chairman of Seven West Media, Kerry Stokes expressed his disappointment at the judgment handed down on Thursday.

“The judgment does not accord with the man I know. I know this will be particularly hard for Ben, who has always maintained his innocence. That his fellow soldiers have disagreed with each other, this outcome will be the source of additional grief,” he said in a statement.

“I haven’t had a chance to have a discussion with Ben as yet, but I will when he has had a chance to fully absorb the judgment.”

Roberts-Smith claims he was linked to war crime allegations published across multiple newspapers even though he wasn’t named because of a distinctive Spartan tattoo, his towering stature and Victoria Cross glory.

The 44-year-old said all the features pointed to him being the accused soldier known only as “Leonidas”.

During his final moments of being questioned by his own legal team during his mammoth trial, Mr Roberts-Smith told the court about the damage the “whispering campaign” wrought on his mental health, career and family.

Roberts-Smith, 44, had been on leave from his role as General Manager of Seven Queensland as he pursued a defamation lawsuit against Nine Newspapers.

Justice Anthony Besanko found some of the imputations of war crimes and murder put forward across six articles by Nine newspapers’ The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times were found to be substantially true in delivering his judgment on Thursday.

Justice Besanko officially dismissed the proceedings after finding the articles proved the most serious imputations, while the newspapers made out the defence of contextual truth for the remainder of the untrue imputations.

Justice Besanko found allegations of threats and domestic violence could not be proven, but was “satisfied” the defence of contextual truth had been made out in respect of these untrue imputations.

More to come.

Originally published as Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Channel 7 after defamation loss