Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
The man sitting in the non-descript room, dressed in a suit and tie, with a bright light beaming down on his head, closed his eyes tightly.
His face was beamed via videolink into courtroom 3.1 of the Downing Centre Local Court where Alan Jones sat in the front row of the public gallery, furrowing his brow and busily scribbling notes on a pad as he watched on.
The man – who can only be known as “Complainant J” – attempted to recount his version of events which happened over 20 years ago when he alleges he was repeatedly indecently assaulted, kissed and groped by the former media titan.
During his evidence, J regularly closed his eyes and attempted to recall in detail his memory of the alleged incidents.
He said it aided his memory and helped eliminate distractions in the courtroom which he could see on a screen.
For four-and-a-half days this week, J delivered his evidence to the court as the first of six complainants in Mr Jones’ high-stakes and highly anticipated trial.
During his lengthy cross-examination, Mr Jones’ barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC accused J of giving a “performance” and recounting an invented version of events.
“You closed your eyes and I suggest that was a performance to the court … in fact you were trying to recount what you had memorised,” Ms Bashir asked.
“No, I just recounted what happened,” J said.
The former star athlete
Mr Jones is facing a judge-alone trial, before Judge Glenn Walsh, having pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching.
Nine of the charges relate to “Complainant J” who alleged that Mr Jones kissed him at the ex-radio king’s Circular Quay apartment and Fitzroy Falls farm.
He has further alleged that Mr Jones touched him on the penis as the man drove Mr Jones to Fitzroy Falls and when they arrived at the Southern Highlands property.
At the time of the alleged offences, J was in his late teens and an aspiring athlete who was showing substantial promise.
The court has been told that Mr Jones gave J a silver Nokia phone and car.
And for a period Mr Jones paid the man between $400 per week, before increasing it to $500 per week and then to $600, so he could focus on competition and training without needing a job.
From 2003 to 2012, Mr Jones gave J more than $110,000, the court has been told.
Through Ms Bashir, Mr Jones has denied every allegation against him.
During his cross-examination, Ms Bashir put it to J that Mr Jones had recognised his potential from a young age and had sought to financially support him during his career.
“Alan Jones was unfailingly generous and supported you throughout your career,” Ms Bashir asked.
“Yes,” J replied.
Nine of the charges against Mr Jones related to complaint J and comprise;
*An allegation that Mr Jones kissed him at his Circular Quay home after having a Chinese dinner
*Another alleged kiss in Mr Jones’ office at “The Toaster”
*An allegation that Mr Jones touched and tightly squeezed the man’s penis while J drove him to his Fitzroy Falls farm in the Southern Highlands.
*Two further alleged kisses at the Fitzroy Falls farm – one in the garage as they got out of the car and one near a pig pen
*An allegation that – while at the Fitzroy Falls farm – Mr Jones rubbed J’s penis over his underpants after telling him to have a shower and “come out with a robe and nothing else”
*On the same night, inside a bedroom, Mr Jones is alleged to have taken off the man’s robe and pulled down his underpants and swivelled his hips so that their penises were touching.
*While still inside the bedroom, J has alleged that Mr Jones grabbed his penis before they both masturbated together
*The final allegation is that Mr Jones kissed J on another occasion in 2004 at his Sydney apartment.
‘As scared as I’ve ever been’
Complainant J told the court during his evidence that he was “petrified” and “scared” while inside the bedroom at the Fitzroy Falls farm in which he alleged he was indecently touched on the penis by Mr Jones.
Pressed by Ms Bashir why he had not pushed Mr Jones off – given he was young, fit and strong – J told the court he was “as scared as I’ve ever been” and that his heart was beating out of his chest.
During his lengthy cross examination Ms Bashir accused J of being motivated by money and a financial payout – a claim which J repeatedly and stridently denied.
He also denied Ms Bashir’s assertion that he had seen media reports of allegations against Mr Jones in 2023 and had used them as the basis for his own claims when he came forward to police in 2024 after Mr Jones’ arrest.
“For some reason it brings me comfort every time you say it didn’t happen or he wasn’t there. Because I know that it did,” J told the court during his cross examination on Friday.
‘I haven’t made this up’
J denied manufacturing the allegation that Mr Jones grabbed him on the penis while driving him to Fitzroy Falls.
“You concocted this detailed story about grabbing your thigh and groping your penis on the way down to Fitzroy falls haven’t you,” Ms Bashir said.
“No,” J replied.
During his cross examination, J told the court that Mr Jones made contact with his scrotum as Mr Jones grabbed him.
Ms Bashir seized on the comment and asked him why he did not mention that detail during his evidence-in-chief earlier in the week, accusing him of making up the story.
“The truth is you’re getting mixed up in your evidence because you had made up this account of what Mr Jones did,” Ms Bashir said.
“You keep saying that, but I haven’t made this up,” J said.
J gave evidence to the court over five days and his re-examination by Crown prosecutor Georgina Wright will continue when the trial resumes on Tuesday.
A further five complainants who have made allegations against Mr Jones are scheduled to give evidence over the coming weeks and months along with an estimated 70 Crown witnesses.
The court previously heard that “oodles” of character witnesses will be called by Mr Jones’ defence.
