Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes says he is confident that credible evidence, including CCTV footage, will clear Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith of assault allegations.

Mr Roberts-Smith, the general manager of Seven Queensland, is suing Fairfax Media for defamation relating to articles which he claims cast him as a war criminal, a “callous, inhumane” murderer and a domestic violence offender.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Stokes said Mr Roberts-Smith had been left in an unjust position, “whereby his accusers get the benefit of anonymity but the attacks on him are reported in full with the hearing some time away”.

Reports in Fairfax Media this week, based on Federal Court documents, revealed details of an affidavit filed by a woman as part of the defamation lawsuit, who claims she and Mr Roberts-Smith had an affair between October last year and April while they were both married.

The woman, referred to as Person 17, is set to be one of the key witnesses in the proceedings. Her affidavit was said to reveal how Mr Roberts-Smith “coached” her on how to explain her black eye to her husband — a black eye she says she received when Mr Roberts-Smith punched her in the face.

Play Video Ben Roberts-Smith has rigorously denied the allegations of domestic violence. Ben Roberts-Smith has rigorously denied the allegations of domestic violence.

Mr Stokes said the most recent allegations had been thoroughly investigated by police, who had not taken action based on “very credible evidence including CCTV footage confirming Ben’s account of how the woman concerned sustained injuries falling down stairs at a parliamentary function”.

“The reporting concerning Ben’s wartime service is very prejudicial as there is currently a Defence inquiry into a broad range of matters concerning Australian forces action on duty overseas,” Mr Stokes said. “No allegations have yet been put to Ben, let alone proved.

“At present Ben is in an unjust position, whereby his accusers get the benefit of anonymity but the attacks on him are reported in full with the hearing some time away.

“Ben is entitled to a fair hearing and is looking forward to defending these matters and having his defamation case heard. In fact, this rule of law and justice is precisely what Ben and his mates, and many before them, have fought for.

“Knowing Ben as I do, both personally from his days of service and in his more recent executive role at Seven West Media, I have every confidence that when he gets the opportunity to tell his story, his version will be borne out.”

In a statement yesterday, Mr Roberts-Smith again denied the allegations of violence.

“The text messages cited in the quoted affidavit do not show any evidence of me coaching her to lie about the injury, as has been suggested by some media,” he said.

“Any fair and reasonable analysis of those texts supports the overwhelming evidence that the injuries the woman suffered were sustained in that fall.

“I simply told her to tell the truth on how she sustained the injuries.

“It concerns me greatly that such an untested allegation is being publicly aired when it will be proven to be untrue.

“I urge the media and the public to allow me the right of a fair hearing where this matter can be properly tested in a court of law.”