00:00David McBride sat in the dock today flanked by two prison guards from Canberra's jail where he's serving his sentence.
00:10His former wife and supporters watched on from the public gallery.
00:15McBride had removed the classified material over a long period of time, copying it onto his computer, printing it and taking it home.
00:24He offered it to three journalists, but in the end it was only used by the ABC in the Afghan Files program.
00:31McBride had wanted a jury trial, but when the court refused to let him argue his key defence, that he had a duty to act in the public interest,
00:41after the oath he'd sworn to the Queen when he joined the military, he said he had no option but to plead guilty.
00:48His lawyers said almost immediately that they would appeal, but today that hope was dashed.
00:55It's now almost seven years since David McBride was first charged, with the case interrupted by the pandemic.
01:02He's now returned to Canberra's jail where he has just over a year to serve before he's eligible for parole, as his lawyers prepare for a High Court challenge.
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