Ben Roberts-Smith trial resumes in explosive fashion
Intimate texts between Ben Roberts-Smith’s wife, Emma Roberts, and her lifelong best friend, Danielle Scott, have been released by the Federal Court as Robert-Smith’s defamation case continues to be heard.
According to court documents, Ms Scott received a phone call from Ms Roberts in April 2018, several weeks after Mr Roberts-Smith allegedly punched his “mistress” at Parliament House.
“Is everything okay?” Ms Scott asked Ms Roberts.
“Are you sitting down? … I’m standing on my verandah and I’m looking at Ben’s girlfriend,” Ms Roberts responded.
“She has a big black eye … she said she [fell] down the stairs at Parliament House,” Ms Roberts continued, according to court documents.
Ms Roberts called her friend after the girlfriend, known only as Person 17, had arrived unannounced at the family’s home.
The decorated soldier has denied claims made by Nine newspapers that he had punched person 17 at a black-tie event, as well as claims of war crimes.
Mr Roberts-Smith told the court he had started dating Person 17 after separating from Ms Roberts in late 2017.
However, Ms Scott disputes that - with her documents claiming the couple weren’t separated until January 2020 and “Ms Roberts would have told her” if it had happened earlier.
“Between October 2017 and April 2018, Ms Roberts regularly expressed concern to Ms Scott that [Mr Roberts-Smith] was having an affair,” the court documents state.
It wasn’t the last time that Person 17 interacted with Ms Scott either, with documents saying that Ms Roberts and Mr Roberts-Smith had called Ms Scott and asked her to read an email sent by Person 17 to Mr Roberts-Smith.
Ms Scott was also asked to contact Person 17 but could not reach her.
An email, also released by the court, shows Ms Scott offering to get the woman help, but warning her against contacting Mr Roberts-Smith.
“As Mr Roberts-Smith has made clear to you now on several occasions he does not wish to personally communicate with you through any means,” Ms Scott wrote.
“Given the disturbing nature of your last message to Mr Roberts-Smith’s office he has requested I assist you where and if required.”
According to court documents, Ms Roberts also texted Ms Scott discussing whether she should “lie” about being separated from Mr Roberts-Smith when he started dating Person 17.
Image: Federal Court
“BRS thinks if it hits the press I say we were separated,” Ms Roberts wrote in the text.
Ms Scott asked if she was okay doing that, adding that Mr Roberts-Smith may think it’s “the only way both of you survive this”.
Image: Federal Court
“He thinks the press will go oh so what no story and the girls won’t actually know when they’re older,” Ms Roberts responded.
Ms Scott and Ms Roberts are expected to give evidence against Mr Roberts-Smith when the case resumes in November.