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  • 14 hours ago
Former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has attended an Anzac Day dawn service in Queensland. The veteran and Victoria Cross recipient is awaiting trial for five counts of the war crime of murder. While he has yet to enter a plea, he has strenuously denied the allegations, which stem from alleged actions during his service in Afghanistan.

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00:02I'm at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast, usually host to Australia's largest Anzac Day Dawn service outside of a
00:09capital city.
00:10People really flocking to see Elephant Rock behind me, the sunrise coming above it.
00:15Now, this morning it's been a bit of a different picture, mostly because of the weather.
00:20We were met with plenty of rain throughout the service this morning, but albeit people pushed through,
00:25pulling out their umbrellas to enjoy what was a very sombre service.
00:29Moving moments include a really unique portion of the event, which saw a paddle out of sorts,
00:35where gold coasters took to their boats, taking out with them the ashes of veterans,
00:42who would then have a portion of their ashes spread at sea, honouring their final wishes,
00:47and really making for what already is a day full of so much remembrance, all that more important.
00:52Now, today's event also saw a special guest in Ben Robert Smith.
00:57He attended the event after being bailed from Sydney's Silverwater prison last week to a Queensland address,
01:05and instead attended this morning the Currumbin service.
01:08Now, he kept a very low profile through the service, and only at the end was he met with members
01:14of the public
01:15who approached him to shake his hand.
01:17Also, he had a few words to say for the media.
01:34Ben Robert Smith, the Victorian cross-recipient, awaiting trial on five counts of the war crime of murder.
01:41Now, he's yet to enter a plea, although he does vehemently deny the charges and says that he will be
01:47fighting them.
01:47Now, he quite quickly left the service at the end after meeting with some of the members of the public,
01:54shaking hands with people there, and of course leaving with his family.
01:59Now, so too did a lot of the crowd that had enjoyed the service here at Currumbin Beach,
02:03and they've likely gone to the local RSL to ready themselves perhaps for a game of two up.
02:09time to go for an office to put in, then he got back to the police with his hands.
02:09Now, the police have been very well done.
02:09He'll take it to the police theworks of the car, and he'll take it to the police station.
02:09He wants to be able to take it to the police station.
02:10Now, before his own police station, he's been too late.
02:11Now, in 5-10 years ago, he's been the police station.
02:11Now, he'll go to the police station who just attended this office for a while.
02:11So he's been so close to normal.
02:12Now, in 5-10 years ago, we've been called the police station.
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