source : the age
Warning: Graphic content
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second day of Alan Jones’ lengthy criminal trial on charges of indecent assault and sexual touching. Our reporters Clare Sibthorpe and Jacqueline Maley will be bringing you the latest from the courtroom today.
On day one, the NSW Local Court in Sydney’s historic Downing Centre court complex heard allegations that Jones indecently assaulted a young athlete, starting with unwanted kissing when the man was a teenager in year 12 in the early 2000s. Jones denies the claims.
The man, now in his early 40s, gave evidence that Jones also groped him in the car as he drove the then-radio host to his Fitzroy Falls property. He said he was fearful at the time of speaking out because he didn’t want to “lose everything”.
Jones had supported the promising athlete financially, including paying him hundreds of dollars a week to focus on training and giving him a car and a mobile phone, the court heard.
Today, the man known as complainant “J” returns to the witness box. He will face cross-examination by Jones’ barrister Gabrielle Bashir, SC, after completing his evidence-in-chief.
The Crown alleges Jones indecently assaulted or sexually touched six men between 2003 and 2020 and is seeking to prove 22 charges against him, including nine indecent assault charges against “J”.
The former broadcaster has emphatically denied wrongdoing and Bashir said on Monday that the credibility and reliability of the complainants’ evidence would be tested.
“Rivalry, treachery, double-dealing, money, hatred, desperation, opportunism and more are all at the heart of this case,” Bashir said in her opening remarks to Judge Glenn Walsh.
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.
Alan Jones, dressed in a blue suit, has arrived at the historic Downing Centre court complex for the second day of his Local Court criminal trial.
As on the first day of the trial, he was greeted by a media throng. He arrived in a black sedan and was flanked by his solicitors Chris Murphy and Bryan Wrench as he made his way into court.
As foreshadowed during pretrial hearings earlier this month, the Crown is seeking to rely on types of circumstantial evidence known as tendency and coincidence in Alan Jones’ criminal trial.
They will allege before Local Court Judge Glenn Walsh that Jones had a tendency to act on a sexual interest in “significantly younger” men by touching them in a professional or social context without their consent. Jones strenuously denies the allegations.
The court has now heard from complainant “J”, who gave evidence that he was in year 12 when the alleged offending started in the form of unwanted kissing. He said he had first met the broadcaster when he was 14 or 15. Prosecutors have alleged that offending took place over about two years. “J” returns to the witness box today.
The Crown alleges that some of the six complainants in this case were “perfect strangers” who were assaulted the first time they met Jones. Other complainants, the prosecution alleges, had a platonic or professional relationship with the broadcasting veteran. Prosecutors allege he was akin to a mentor or benefactor in some cases.
The coincidence evidence seeks to draw on what the Crown has identified as similarities in some complainants’ allegations. The prosecution is seeking to rely on that evidence to demonstrate an improbability that two or more men – who are unknown to each other – would fabricate or report such similar allegations against the same person coincidentally.
Jones is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the prosecution must prove the alleged indecent assault and sexual touching offences beyond reasonable doubt.
The first of the six complainants to give evidence in the trial, complainant “J”, was in the witness box for hours on Monday.
The Crown alleges Jones indecently assaulted the young athlete nine times over four different days in a two-year period. Jones strenuously denies the allegations. These were the key parts of the man’s evidence.
- “J” said he met Jones when he was 14 or 15 after the broadcaster interviewed him about a sporting achievement. Later, Jones gave him a mobile phone so that they could communicate and also bought him a car so that he could drive himself to training.
- He said the alleged offences started when he was in year 12, some years after he first met Jones, and began with an unwanted kiss in Jones’ luxury harbourside apartment. He said he froze and was not given the opportunity to consent.
- The court heard that after this alleged incident, and a second alleged kiss, Jones started paying “J” $400 a week, in fortnightly instalments, so that he could focus on training instead of getting a job.
- “J” told the court that Jones increased the payments after a subsequent unwanted kiss during a trip to Canberra, and that the broadcaster had told him: “You’ve been a really good boy, I’m going to give you some more money.”
- The court heard the payments were increased over time in $100 increments and were eventually $600 a week.
- “J” also recalled an alleged incident of Jones groping his penis while he was driving the broadcaster to his Fitzroy Falls property. The man said Jones pulled his penis out of his pants and squeezed it for several minutes, causing him pain. The incident caused the man to veer off the road for a short period, he told the court.
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“J” said he had conflicting emotions towards the now 85-year-old at the time of the alleged incidents, because he was grateful for his financial support but fearful about speaking out. He said he “came from a small family, and we’d struggled our whole lives. I was getting everything handed to me.”
“J” is giving evidence in closed court, meaning the public is not permitted to observe it, and his identity cannot be revealed. However, there is a provision allowing the media to observe and report on his evidence while maintaining his anonymity.
Jones is accused of 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent. He vehemently denies wrongdoing and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Six men, who were aged between 17 and their 30s at the time of the alleged incidents between 2003 and 2020, will give evidence in the NSW Local Court trial in Sydney.
Complainant “J” started giving evidence on Monday via audiovisual link from a separate room.
During her opening address to the court on Monday, prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, outlined some of the allegations expected to be made by the other five men.
- Complainant “C” is expected to give evidence that Jones touched him on his penis while he was driving the radio host home from 2GB. Wright foreshadowed that “C” would say Jones kissed him on the lips in the apartment lift as he was holding Jones’ belongings. C did not consent to this, the Crown says. The prosecution alleges similar conduct occurred when the men were alone in the 2GB lift.
- Complainant “F”, who was a 17-year-old working in media, is expected to allege that Jones squeezed his buttock cheeks through his clothing at a news event in Sydney. Wright told the court that “F” told his mother that Jones “grabbed my bum” but he decided not to report it because he felt that nobody would believe his word over the broadcaster’s.
- Complainant “M”, an athlete, is expected to say Jones sent him fresh flowers each week for a year after he visited Jones’ apartment and made a comment about the floral arrangements. He alleges Jones hugged and kissed him on the corner of the mouth for a second or two at a public event when he was in his early 30s.
- “M” will also allege that he went to Jones’ apartment some years later and Jones pushed his body against his and kissed him from the cheek to the corner of his mouth. He recalled feeling Jones’ genitals pressed up against his upper inner thigh. Wright foreshadowed that “M” would give evidence that he pushed Jones back and said “OK mate” before leaving the apartment.
- Complainant “A”, who was 17 at the time of the alleged offence, is expected to say Jones put his tongue inside his mouth when he was visiting the broadcaster’s Fitzroy Falls property. Wright foreshadowed “A” would say he froze and didn’t know what to do. He alleges Jones also put his hand on his bottom. The mother of “A” is expected to give evidence that her son later wrote her a note which said something like “someone in power did something they should not have”.
- Complainant “H”, who was aged in his early 30s, will allege Jones met him at a fundraising event in Sydney and used his hand to touch the top of his back, sliding slowly down his spine and resting his hand on the top of his bottom.
Alan Jones’ Local Court trial is being presided over by Judge Glenn Walsh. Today’s hearing will start at 10am.
Both the Crown, led by Georgina Wright, SC, and the defence, led by Gabrielle Bashir, SC, gave opening addresses to the court on Monday before the evidence started.
Bashir has foreshadowed that the reliability and credibility of the complainants will be tested, as is to be expected. She will submit at the end of the trial that the judge cannot be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the alleged offences took place.
Walsh is a criminal law expert who worked as a solicitor for decades, including as the principal of his own firm, before becoming a barrister in 2003. He has served on the bench since 2009.
Warning: Graphic content
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second day of Alan Jones’ lengthy criminal trial on charges of indecent assault and sexual touching. Our reporters Clare Sibthorpe and Jacqueline Maley will be bringing you the latest from the courtroom today.
On day one, the NSW Local Court in Sydney’s historic Downing Centre court complex heard allegations that Jones indecently assaulted a young athlete, starting with unwanted kissing when the man was a teenager in year 12 in the early 2000s. Jones denies the claims.
