A man who leaked classified military documents that revealed allegations Australian soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan will find out his punishment after pleading guilty.
David McBride pleaded guilty to stealing classified material and leaking it to reporters.
Prosecutors have pressed for the former military lawyer to spend a minimum of two years behind bars to reflect the seriousness of his crime, but his lawyers argued for leniency, saying what he did was in the public interest.
David McBride arrives in the ACT Supreme Court earlier this month.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Justice David Mossop will deliver his decision in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The court also has the option of imposing a suspended prison sentence or an order to serve your sentence in the community.
At the sentencing hearings, McBride's barrister Stephen Odgers SC argued that his “deteriorated emotional well-being” due to PTSD and substance abuse issues contributed to his decision to reveal the documents.
McBride felt he had a public duty to do so, he claimed.
But prosecutor Trish McDonald countered that, saying McBride had maintained he did the right thing after getting his mental health under control and recovering from his abuse problems.
McBride not only breached defense protocol, but his duty as an attorney not to disclose confidential information, he argued.
He was also motivated by “personal vindication” to show he knew more than others, the prosecutor told the court.
The leaked documents led to reports of Australian special forces soldiers committing alleged war crimes.
AAP
