source : the age
A complainant in Alan Jones’ sexual assault trial has denied deceiving the former broadcaster throughout his teenage years to extract more than $100,000 in financial support for his family.
Tense scenes erupted at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday during cross-examination of the now-doctor, who alleges Jones put his tongue in his mouth and touched his bottom at the former broadcaster’s Fitzroy Falls farm. He was 17 and Jones was in his 70s.
Jones, 85, is on trial for 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent against five male complainants between 2003 and 2020. He denies the alleged acts occurred.
The fifth and final complainant to testify, dubbed “A”, alleged that he developed a friendship with Jones from the age of 13 after reaching out for help for his financially struggling family. He said the former 2GB broadcaster leveraged contacts to help them remortgage their home and funded significant renovations in the years before the alleged assault. The court heard on Thursday that this figure exceeded $100,000.
During cross-examination, defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir, SC, dissected dozens of emails sent to Jones and signed off by the then-teenager, discussing the renovation and related legal arrangements. She suggested his mother had made more contributions to them than he claimed.
“Were you trying to deceive Mr Jones about the author of the email when you sent emails signed off just from just [his name] that your mother had input into?” she asked. “A” disagreed.
Bashir pressed that he was. He said she was wrong.
In another exchange, Bashir put to him that he intended to obtain as much financial assistance from Jones as he possibly could.
“That is not true,” he replied.
Bashir suggested his mother had the same intention. “A” said that was a lie.
One by one, Bashir took him through piles of emails, quizzing him on his mother’s input.
He frequently responded that he did not understand her, told her she was not asking him actual questions, and once accused her of twisting his words.
After hours of friction and an exchange about whether the man was aware of the content of an email sent a decade ago, Bashir asked: “You told the court you’re a doctor, haven’t you?”
The man agreed.
Bashir pressed him on details of his studies, adding: “You are well able to understand the question I’m asking you.”
“A” responded that he was not sure what this has to do with him studying medicine.
“You’re a person of high intelligence, aren’t you?”
The complainant asked for clarification about her previous question before answering it.
At one point “A” accused Bashir of trying to railroad his testimony and trick him into agreeing with her exact framing regarding his intent behind the emails.
She denied manipulating and twisting his words.
When Bashir earlier questioned “A” on the number of commas in emails signalling whether he or his mother wrote them, prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC stepped in.
“I object to this, your honour. This is becoming annoying,” Wright said.
In one email dated several years after the first communications, Jones told “A” that “enough is enough”.
“This cost thing is out of hand. There must be a point where I have to say no more,” he wrote.
Earlier in the week the court heard Jones showered the teenager with compliments, calling him sophisticated, articulate and a “special young man”.
‘This cost thing is out of hand. There must be a point where I have to say no more.’
Alan Jones in a message to ‘A’ several years after they first met
Telling him he loved him dearly, the former broadcaster said he was the most brilliant young teenager he’d ever met and a “beautiful human being”. After they shared a meal, Jones wrote: “You looked wonderful, fresh and bright – I can’t believe you’re 14 years of age”.
“A” made several visits to Jones’ Circular Quay apartment and one weekend trip to Jones’ Fitzroy Falls property.
He testified that as he stood in the hallway with Jones on his last night at the farm, he leaned in to hug him and thanked him for the weekend. He alleged Jones put his tongue inside his mouth, making him freeze.
He said the kissing continued until Jones put his hand on the teenager’s bottom for several seconds.
“A” said he recoiled, stepped away and told Jones, “That’s enough, Alan.” He felt “very uncomfortable” as Jones grinned, and went into the en suite of his bedroom where he scrubbed his mouth out while feeling “violated and gross”.
The court heard that in the following days the teenager confided in his mother in a letter describing debilitating flashbacks. He wrote that he was physically strong enough to prevent the assault but it showed him the power of money.
The boy first spoke to police in 2018 and Jones was later charged.
The trial continues.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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