source : the age
Warning: Graphic content
Alan Jones allegedly sent a former athlete weekly flowers for years and arranged for a helicopter to fly him to his rural property before kissing him non-consensually, including at a function in Sydney.
Complainant “M”, the third of six complainants in Jones’ criminal trial, testified on Monday that the broadcaster kissed him at the event about a decade ago before texting him that night: “I love you, I hope you can feel my kisses darling xxxx.”
“M” had told the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney that Jones texted words to the effect of “I would like to be kissing you all night” before he was shown a printout of messages from his phone.
The former athlete said Jones kissed “close to my lips, not on the cheek, the side of my lips, and it was on my way back to the table” after he appeared on stage at the event.
‘I think I froze’
“I recall thinking, like, ‘f—, what just happened? Why would he do that?’” he said.
The complainant alleged the kiss lasted for a second or two.
“I think I froze at that time,” he said. “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.”
One attendee at the event told the court last week that he did not witness the alleged kiss.
The court heard that Jones texted “M” after the function: “Great to see you. Sorry I didn’t catch up after … You looked great. I love you, I hope you can feel my kisses darling xxxx.”
“M” replied: “Nice to see you too. I had a very long day today and I am pleased to be in bed now. Thanks mate xoxo.”
The conversation ended with “M” saying “let me know when we can catch up” and “lots of love” and Jones replying: “I will darling. Big kisses forever.”
“M” said that he did not respond to the final text.
“I recall my hesitancy in responding, [thinking] that I don’t want this to continue,” he said.
The man said he mentioned catching up again with Jones because he wanted him “just to go away”.
The charges
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.
The former 2GB broadcaster denies any of the physical acts alleged by the complainants occurred.
Of the 22 charges in the trial, one count each of indecent assault and sexual touching relate to “M”.
The second alleged kiss
“M” said that on the last occasion he visited the broadcaster’s apartment, years after the first alleged kiss, Jones kissed him non-consensually for a second time.
“He was kissing me from one side of my face towards my lips and also his genitalia touched my leg,” he said. “As soon as that happened, I pushed the defendant away and said, ‘OK, mate’ defiantly.”
He said his tone was intended to convey “get away from me” and he “got out of there as quickly as possible”.
He said that while Jones’ kisses were “getting closer to my mouth” the broadcaster was “saying things like, ‘I love you so much, you don’t know how much I love you’.”
The first meeting
The complainant said he first spoke to Jones in a telephone interview when he was a junior athlete, and met him in person as a teenager.
The court heard that “M” was in his early 20s when he started meeting Jones socially, and the alleged kisses occurred when he was in his 30s.
The texts
“M” told the court that he received effusive texts from the then 2GB host, including words to the effect of: “If someone hasn’t told you, let me be the person who tells you that you’re special.”
The man said this was “something not even my parents say to me”.
The Crown tendered 19 pages of texts between Jones and “M”. Prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, read out one text exchange in which “M” said he was “very well” and sent a photo.
Jones responded: “I love the photo. I love you. I want to kiss you for hours. That is beautiful. We must catch up darling [name] xxx.”
“M” said he did not respond immediately. Hours later, Jones wrote: “I hope my message did not upset you. I love you.”
The man said he responded the next day, writing: “Not at all mate. It’s nice to be loved.”
Reflecting on the messages, the complainant said: “I believe it’s a person that is in love with me.
“I know that I wasn’t in love with him in that kind of way.”
The court heard that Jones also texted “M” on another occasion: “I just want to be with you, feel my kisses darling all over xxxx.”
Asked why he called Jones “mate” in one message, the complainant said he had “made it very clear that … it wasn’t moving into a relationship, so ‘mate’ was my way of pushing back, I guess.”
He said later that he was wary of causing offence to Jones because he was “always concerned about the reputation he had and how he could destroy people”.
“He hurt brands, he hurt politicians,” the man said.
The gifts
The former athlete said Jones sent him a dinner set after he commented on Jones’ “beautiful” tableware during a lunch.
Jones also delivered flowers to “M” weekly for years after the athlete commented on the floral arrangement on the 2GB host’s dining table, the complainant said. “M” agreed that he also sent Jones flowers at least once.
The chopper ride
As well as visiting Jones at his apartment, “M” said he would take trips to the broadcaster’s Fitzroy Falls farm. “M” said he would usually drive to the property, but that he flew there in a helicopter arranged by Jones at least once.
The trial continues.
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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.
