The headline-making defamation trial between Ben Roberts-Smith and Nine has come to a halt after the former SAS soldier visited a COVID hotspot.
Robert-Smith is suing three newspapers for defamation, two of which are owned by Nine.
According to news.com.au, Roberts-Smith found out he needed to isolate on Sunday. He was due to be cross-examined again on Monday.
Robert-Smith’s barrister Arthur Moses SC told the Federal Court on Monday that the former SAS soldier had visited a hotspot in the city and was isolating while he awaited COVID test results.
The hotspot is alleged to be a food court in Sydney’s CBD, although this has yet to be confirmed.
“We raised whether his evidence could continue via AVL [audio-visual link], but that is not agreed,” Moses said, as reported by ABC News.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, both legal teams wore masks in court, except for the barristers that were speaking.
The judge agreed to pause the defamation trial until Robert-Smith received a COVID test result, which has since come back negative, meaning the case should continue today.
