breaking

Whistleblower David McBride walks free from prison after jailed for stealing defence documents

David McBride was jailed for stealing secret defence documents and leaking them to the press.

Lucinda Garbutt-Young
AAP
Whistleblower David McBride has been released from prison after serving his non-parole period.

Whistleblower David McBride has been released from a Canberra prison after his bid for parole was successful.

His parole was considered and granted on Thursday morning, a spokesperson for attorney-general Michelle Rowland confirmed to AAP.

“The government does not provide specific commentary or details about individual parole matters,” the spokesperson said.

Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.

Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.

Email Us
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

McBride served his full non-parole period of 27 months.

The former army lawyer was sentenced to a maximum of five years and eight months in jail in May 2024 after he helped steal secret defence documents about the Afghanistan war. He then leaked them to the press.

He pleaded guilty to three charges after the court upheld a commonwealth intervention to withhold evidence that the government argued had the potential to jeopardise Australia’s security.

More to come...

Originally published on AAP

Latest Edition

The Nightly cover for 12-08-2026

Latest Edition

Edition Edition 12 August 202612 August 2026

Albanese assures Japan his innuendo-laden melongate podcast appearance was all just a bit of fun.