Ben Roberts-Smith's Tattoo Removal Exposed During Sydney Airport Arrest
Australian Federal Police images from the arrest of Ben Roberts-Smith at Sydney Airport have revealed a curious detail about the nation's most decorated soldier. The heavily tattooed Special Air Services veteran, a Victoria Cross recipient, has quietly removed one of the many inkings that adorn his muscular upper torso.
The Missing Celtic Knot Tattoo
The 47-year-old soldier, now held in custody awaiting court appearances over allegations he killed unarmed civilians while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, showed clear signs that a tattoo on his bicep has been lasered away. While close examination of his body art reveals numerous etchings, it was a simple Celtic knot-style band around his right bicep that he chose to erase.
A source close to Roberts-Smith told the Daily Mail the reason for the removal was straightforward: 'He simply did not like it any more'. The armband design had fallen out of fashion after being popular in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro commented on such decisions: 'People get tattoos all the time, generally in the folly of youth, not always. And some people then get bored with their tattoo, or they think it's an aesthetic, or they've moved on in their life, and they'll have it removed. I wouldn't read anything in particular into that.'
The Tattoos That Remain
The tattoos that remain on Roberts-Smith's body provide a fascinating insight into the fallen hero's personal history and military connections. On his right side, a Spartan helmet is emblazoned across his ribcage, nodding to the fearsome warriors of Ancient Greece.
This particular tattoo has drawn attention because Roberts-Smith has been accused of kicking an Afghan farmer down a slope in 2012. The alleged act has been compared to a scene in the 2006 movie 300, when Spartan King Leonidas kicked a messenger into a pit while shouting: 'This is Sparta!'
The father of twin girls also displays a Jerusalem Cross across the right side of his chest, featuring what appears to be a knight on a horse inset into the centre of the motif. Also known as the Crusader's Cross, this symbol is rooted in the Crusades of 1095-1291, when European Christians fought Muslims for control of Jerusalem.
Interestingly, Donald Trump's US Secretary of War and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth also sports a Crusader's Cross tattoo over his heart. The former National Guard member claims he was pulled from duty on the day of Joe Biden's 2021 presidential inauguration because his cross tattoo 'unfairly' identified him as an extremist.
Tributes to Fallen Comrades
Above Roberts-Smith's cross are the words 'I shall never fail my brothers', written in cursive script. Below the cross in barely legible gothic script is a tribute to two fallen SAS soldiers who were his close mates.
The word 'Locky' is understood to honour Sergeant Matthew Locke, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in October 2007 when he was shot by the Taliban. Roberts-Smith and Locke were both awarded the Medal of Gallantry after a 2006 mission.
Below 'Locky' appears the word 'Didds', in memory of Sergeant Blaine Diddams, who was killed in action during a mission in the Chora Valley in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, in July 2012.
On the left side of the soldier's body, a small cross with a loop at the top is visible underneath the start of his intricate dragon sleeve. This crucifix-like image is an Ankh, or the ancient Egyptian 'key of life' symbol.
Inside Roberts-Smith's left-arm sleeve, along his inner forearm, are the Latin words Decus Prosapia Tellus, roughly translated as 'Glory/honour of the family's land'. Loosely translated, Decus can refer to honour or glory, Prosapia is a nod to family or ancestry, and Tellus means earth, land or country.
The Arrest and Charges
On Tuesday, Roberts-Smith was charged with five counts of war crimes following a five-year joint investigation by the AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator. Armed AFP officers intercepted him when he arrived on a Qantas flight from Brisbane.
Footage captured Roberts-Smith wearing a polo shirt, jeans and cap, being led down a stairway off the aircraft and escorted across the tarmac to a white four-wheel drive. He was taken to Mascot police station where he was refused bail.
A Nine News television camera crew had been waiting at the airport to film the 47-year-old's arrest when the plane touched down. Nine newspapers first published claims Roberts-Smith had allegedly committed war crimes while serving with the SAS in Afghanistan in a series of stories run in 2018.
Roberts-Smith subsequently sued Nine newspapers and journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters for defamation after they reported he had committed war crimes in Afghanistan. In 2023, the Federal Court's Justice Anthony Besanko found the claims that Roberts-Smith was responsible for the murder of four unarmed male civilians were substantially true, on the balance of probabilities.
At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett spoke about the arrest without using Roberts-Smith's name: 'It will be alleged the man was a member of the ADF when he was involved in the deaths of Afghan nationals between 2009 and 2012, in circumstances that constitute war crimes under the Commonwealth Criminal Code.'
