Former military lawyer David McBride says he'll head to the high court after losing his appeal against the severity of his sentence for sharing classified documents with journalists. McBride was sentenced in the ACT Supreme court last year to nearly six years jail after pleading guilty to theft and distributing the material.
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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