source : the age
Warning: Graphic content
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Alan Jones’ criminal trial in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. My colleague Clare Sibthorpe will be bringing you the latest from court today.
Jones, 85, is standing trial on 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent relating to six male complainants over a 17-year period from 2003 to 2020. He denies the alleged physical acts occurred.
Two complainants, known as “J” and “C”, have completed their evidence. Today, the third complainant, dubbed “M”, will start his testimony.
“M” is a former athlete who has accused Jones of kissing him without his consent on the corner of his mouth on two occasions. The complainant alleges that Jones pressed his body up against his upper thigh during one of the alleged assaults.
Some complainants choose to give evidence in a separate room, but “M” has opted to appear in the witness box in the courtroom. Reporters are observing his evidence from a separate location in the court building.
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.
“M” said that Jones’ mouth touched his lips during the non-consensual kiss at the function, which lasted “a second or two”.
“[It was] a short period of time but enough time to react to this happening, and I was shocked that it was happening,” he said.
Prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, asked him how he reacted.
He replied: “I’m not certain, but I think I froze at that time. I was in disbelief of where this was happening, and I didn’t understand why it was happening, and there’s no reason to suggest why in this public situation you’d kiss someone this way.”
Prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, asked “M” if he consented to Jones kissing him on or near the mouth on that evening.
“M” responded that he did not.
Crown prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, has taken “M” to a sporting function in Sydney in the 2000s where it is alleged Jones kissed the complainant “on the side of [his] lips”.
“M” said that he was walking off the stage, where a slew of awards had been presented to athletes, and moving towards his group table when he was “kissed by the defendant”.
“And it was out of character for him in the way that he kissed me on that night,” “M” said.
“He kissed me close to my lips, not on the cheek, the side of my lips, and it was on my way back to the table.
“I recall thinking, like, ‘f—, what just happened? Why would someone do that? Why would he do that?’ It felt like a long walk back to the table. I sat down, I didn’t speak about it.”
As well as visiting Jones at his Macquarie Street apartment, “M” said he would take trips to the broadcaster’s Fitzroy Falls farm.
“M” told the court he would usually drive to the property, but would occasionally fly there in a helicopter that was arranged by Jones.
He recalled that on one occasion he stayed at the farm with his housemate for a week.
Jones delivered flowers to “M” weekly for several years, the court has heard.
“M” said he once made a comment about the arrangement of flowers on Jones’ dining table.
“I started receiving the flowers weekly. They were delivered to my home,” the man said.
“There was a note with the first delivery of flowers from either Alan or AJ … I received them for a number of years.”
The complainant told the court that Jones would act differently towards “M” in public, such as at various sporting-related events, than he would in private.
In private, he would greet “M” with a hug and a kiss, he said, and complimentary words. In public, their conversations were usually about the complainant’s sporting achievements, he said.
As well as the occasional visits to Jones’ home, “M” said he would regularly communicate with Jones via text.
The former broadcaster “would quite frequently” text “M” phrases such as: “If someone hasn’t told you, let me be the person who tells you that you’re special.”
Sometimes, he said, Jones would also talk to him like this in person.
“M” told the court that this language felt flattering at first. But he said that, over time, it began to make him feel uncomfortable.
“It was something not even my parents say to me,” the man said, adding that it struck him “a little unusually”.
When meeting “M”, Jones would often greet him with flattering words such as “champion” and “beautiful man”, the complainant tells the court.
“M” said that during one visit to Jones’ apartment, they had a lunch where “M” commented on Jones’ “beautiful” tableware.
Some time later, “M” was sent that dinner set in the mail with a note attached. He said he didn’t recall what was written in the note.
“M” said he believed he sent a thank-you message to Jones.
“M” said that after he competed in a sporting event in the early 2000s, he began meeting Jones outside a professional setting.
He said the first time this occurred, according to his recollection, was at Jones’ harbourside Circular Quay apartment. He was in his early 20s.
“M” said he remembered driving to Jones’ apartment and was let inside by his butler.
The man said Jones greeted him with “open arms”.
The complainant tells the court that after he met Jones in person, he continued to be interviewed on Jones’ radio show.
These interviews were conducted both in person and on the phone, he said, and were organised by the then-athlete’s manager.
“M” said the interviews were “overwhelmingly complimentary … in a flattering way” towards “M”.
