Warning: This story contains distressing content
Beaming into a small Sydney courtroom on Friday via video link, Ben Roberts-Smith sat silently as he appeared on war crimes charges for the first time.
The country's most-decorated living soldier was earlier this month charged with five counts of murder - allegedly committed while the former Special Air Service (SAS) corporal was deployed to Afghanistan on Australia's behalf.
Fresh court documents seen by the BBC reveal – in detail – allegations that the 47-year-old murdered a disabled Afghan detainee, kicked a handcuffed prisoner off a cliff, ordered rookie soldiers execute others in an initiation practice called "blooding", and planted items on the alleged victims to cover-up misconduct.
Roberts-Smith vehemently denies the claims, which his lawyer says are "unchartered legal territory" for Australia – a country that has never held a war crimes trial.
