Sydney: The most decorated war veteran in Australia, who was found by a civil court to have contributed to the killing of four Afghans while serving there, expressed his shock at the "incorrect" ruling and said he would not repent for his deeds.

Ben Roberts-Smith, recipient of the Victoria Cross and other top military awards, said in his first public remarks following the court decision that he was still proud of his deeds in Afghanistan, where he served in the Special Air Service for six tours from 2006 to 2012. 

Roberts-Smith's defamation lawsuit against three newspapers for articles accusing him of breaking the rules of engagement and killing unarmed Afghans was dismissed by an Australian federal court judge on June 1. The judge ruled that the newspapers had demonstrated a significant amount of accuracy in their reporting.

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At the Perth Airport baggage claim in the late evening on Wednesday, Roberts-Smith said, "I'm devastated with the result. It's a terrible outcome and it's the incorrect outcome.

We won't be apologising because we haven't done anything wrong, he continued. When questioned about his performance in Afghanistan, Roberts-Smith responded, "Of course I am."

The burden of proof for the civil court's defamation ruling was lower than it would be for a criminal court. Roberts-Smith, 44, is depicted in the Australian War Memorial but is not currently facing any criminal charges.

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Nevertheless, the defendants and representatives of the media and the defence sector welcomed the ruling as a victory for public interest reporting and transparency in regards to Australia's military actions abroad.

When the verdict was announced in court after 110 days of hearings over a year, Roberts-Smith was not present because she was being photographed by media in Bali, Indonesia. More recently, he was captured on camera in New Zealand, from which he took a flight to Australia.

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In the brief airport interview, Roberts-Smith stated, "We will review it (the judgement) and consider whether or not we need to file an appeal." "We'll just have to work through it, and I'll take the advice as it comes."