One SAS witness due to give evidence for newspapers being sued by Ben Roberts-Smith appears to have cold feet, with the media outlets claiming the war hero's barrister had a hand in it.
Mr Roberts-Smith, one of Australia's most decorated living soldiers, is suing three newspapers for defamation, denying their reports that he committed war crimes and murders in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012.
A soldier, codenamed Person 66 and allegedly "blooded" by Mr Roberts-Smith in 2012, was due to testify in the Federal Court on Friday.