An SAS whistle blower has denied speaking out to media about alleged war crimes in Afghanistan as a move to "tarnish" the reputation of decorated veteran Ben Roberts-Smith.
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The warrant officer class two, codenamed Person Seven, spent his fourth day in the witness box at the civil trial brought by Mr Roberts-Smith against three newspapers he says defamed him in reports of alleged war crimes and murders in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012.
Person Seven was one of two anonymous sources who appeared on the Nine Network's 60 Minutes program in 2019 in breach of Australian Defence policy.
On Monday, Person Seven rejected claims put to him by Mr Roberts-Smith's counsel, Arthur Moses SC, that his motivation in speaking to journalists was to "tarnish" the Victoria Cross winner's reputation.
"No I don't accept that ... I wanted Australia to take these allegations seriously," he told the court.
Queried about Mr Roberts-Smith's VC citation for actions at the battle of Tizak, Person Seven said he believed the document contained "lies and embellishments", including about whether an insurgent killed in the firefight was armed, the intensity of gunfire in the battle, and whether an enemy position was fortified and elevated.
The trial has previously been told that a basis on which Mr Roberts-Smith was awarded his VC was storming machine gun positions at Tizak.
Both Mr Roberts-Smith and Person Seven fought in the 2010 battle, the trial heard.
Mr Moses suggested to Person Seven that he had "just not let go" of Mr Roberts-Smith being awarded the VC for his actions at Tizak.
"I let this go a long time ago," the witness replied.
The court heard Person Seven declined to take the initiative to neutralise machine guns in the battle because he was "trying to stay alive", rejecting the claim he had become "consumed by the thought" he chose not to assault the machine guns.
"I do not regret anything at the battle of Tizak ... my personal performance," he said.
He conceded not being brave enough to attack the machines guns, but denied the barrister's claims this had caused him to resent the war hero.
"Not at all," he said.
Person Seven also denied he became "filled with anger and frustration" on a 2011 military speaking tour he and Mr Roberts-Smith participated in about Tizak.
"I've got on with my life," he said.
Also on Monday, the court heard Person Seven was the source of an article which claimed Mr Roberts-Smith kneed an Afghan "in the guts" and "smashed" him in the cheek.
Quizzed over the alleged incident, Person Seven said it was what he saw, heard, and said, and rejected the barrister's assertion he divulged it to portray himself as a hero, and to "character assassinate" the former SAS corporal.
"Mr Moses, I'm completely unknown ... No one has a clue who I am," he said.
The trial has previously been told Person Seven watched the war hero attack an unarmed Afghan prisoner, bully a comrade and threaten to strangle a man.
The soldier has also testified that a trooper, dubbed Person Four, told him Mr Roberts-Smith kicked an unarmed Afghan prisoner off a cliff in Darwan in 2012.
The SAS member has denied being entrenched with a group of soldiers against Mr Roberts-Smith, or "dumping on" him in interviews with journalists.
Mr Roberts-Smith denies all the accusations against him.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
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