An ABC journalist who is being sued for alleged defamation by an Australian special forces soldier has now been accused of verbally abusing a producer for 2GB radio.
Heston Russell, who made headlines when he raised $15,000 for veterans’ charity Swiss 8 by selling nude photos of himself on OnlyFans, is suing the ABC and two of its investigative journalists over stories published in 2020 and 2021.
On Wednesday, the national broadcaster sensationally pulled its final defence in the defamation fight against him, just two weeks before the matter was set to go to trial.
Mr Russell claimed stories by Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson in November 2021 made it look like he was being investigated for shooting an unarmed prisoner.
On Thursday, 2GB’s Ben Fordham slammed the ABC over its stories about Mr Russell and claimed Willacy ‘phoned us off air one morning, screaming his head off about our coverage of this case’.
An ABC journalist who is being sued for alleged defamation by former Australian special forces soldier Heston Russell (pictured) has now been accused of verbally abusing a radio producer
‘His bosses later told us that he was under pressure. You can say that again,’ Fordham added.
ABC’s director of news Justin Stevens was reduced to bland management speak on Thursday when he was asked about Willacy’s alleged phone call during a Senate committee appearance.
Liberal senator Hollie Hughes said she understood ‘it was quite a tense phone call, quite an angry phone call with a bit of yelling towards this producer.’
‘Are you aware of that incident?’ she questioned Mr Stevens.
‘So, in terms of firstly, the chain of events as to the specificity of the email inquiry that came in. I’m happy to follow up, and take that on notice,’ he replied.
‘I can say with confidence that 2GB have been extremely interested in Mark Willacy’s journalism, relentlessly interested, and often attack his journalism and the credibility of it.’
ABC journalist Mark Willacy (pictured) allegedly phoned a 2GB producer and was ‘screaming his head off’
Heston Russell (pictured) claimed stories by ABC journalists Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson in November 2021 made it look like he was being investigated for shooting an unarmed prisoner
Fordham used much plainer language in defending 2GB’s coverage of the case.
‘The ABC is now looking foolish,’ he said. ‘They are being thrashed in the legal case against the former special forces commando.
‘It was alleged that Heston and his unit November Platoon had been involved in the execution of an Afghan prisoner.
‘The Federal Court has already ruled the ABC defamed Heston Russell and it’s been up to journalists Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson to support their claims – and that is proving to be a disaster.
‘So let’s be crystal clear: there have been a total of four attempts by Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson and the ABC to defend their story. All four have now been abandoned.’
Fordham said the ABC ‘has raised the white flag’ in the case.
‘The stories about Heston and November Platoon relied on the witness account of a U.S. marine who appeared on the ABC using a fake name,’ the radio host explained.
He detailed how the marine using the name ‘Josh’ said he was on a helicopter in Afghanistan in 2012 when he was called to pick up a team of Australian soldiers.
‘They had seven prisoners and Josh says there was not enough room for all of them. He then heard – not saw, but heard – a pop over the radio,’ Fordham said.
‘He assumed that was Australian soldiers shooting a prisoner dead, and that was the basis of Mark Willacy’s story.’
Mr Heston’s lawyers wanted to know ‘Josh’s’ true identity, but the ABC refused.
In a statement, the ABC said the Federal Court ruling ‘resulted in the ABC having to choose between protecting the identity of its source versus continuing its defence’.
‘Well that’s complete and utter garbage,’ Fordham said. ‘Because here are the facts: this marine, Josh, agreed to be interviewed on camera for the ABC.
‘His face wasn’t blurred, his voice wasn’t altered. The ABC said when and where he was deployed in Afghanistan, and the unit he served with.’
Mr Russell is asking for the ABC (pictured) to remove the article and pay aggravated damages on top of court costs
Justice Michael Lee also lambasted the broadcaster over this, saying: ‘If those responsible for publishing Josh’s photograph within the ABC thought there was substance in Josh’s fear of retribution, they must have assumed his potential assailants were a somewhat incurious and lazy lot.’
Fordham said the case was becoming ‘extremely damaging’ and ‘unbelievably expensive’ for the ABC.
‘Legal costs would already be close to $1million and taxpayers will be picking up the bill,’ he said.
The 2GB breakfast host claimed that Willacy tried to get the station to stop covering the Russell case.
‘We didn’t, we wouldn’t and we won’t. And in trying to justify their reporting, they made sloppy errors that caused even more damage,’ he said.
‘It’s been a shocker for the ABC. They’ve now raised the white flag, they’ve conceded defeat.
‘And now the only question is, how big the damages payout is going to be to Heston Russell.’
Mr Russell (pictured) has called on the ABC to apologise and take down the articles
In March 2022, the ABC quietly updated and published corrections on two of the stories on the matter.
Mr Russell is asking for the broadcaster to remove the articles and pay aggravated damages on top of court costs.
The matter will return to court on Friday.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Willacy and the ABC seeking comment.
