Two witnesses close to a man known as complainant J have appeared before a judge-alone trial in Sydney, where broadcaster Alan Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching involving six male complainants between 2003 and 2020.
Witnesses give evidence in Alan Jones indecent assault trial in Sydney
Two witnesses close to a man known as complainant J have appeared before a judge-alone trial in Sydney, where broadcaster Alan Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching involving six male complainants between 2003 and 2020.
Complainant J, described in both sources as a former young athlete now in his 40s, alleges that Jones kissed him and touched him indecently on multiple occasions when he was 17 or 18 years old. He alleges that during an overnight stay at Jones's Fitzroy Falls property, the radio host touched him on the penis multiple times, kissed him on the mouth, and rubbed his genitals against him without consent.
According to ABC News Australia, complainant J's then-girlfriend testified that J came to her home after leaving Jones's property and told her, 'Alan Jones has touched me inappropriately,' adding, 'You cannot tell anyone about this.' The woman said she provided a statement to police approximately two days after Jones's arrest in 2024, following J's own formal report of his allegations.
Under cross-examination by defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC, the ex-girlfriend was questioned about messages J sent her after she gave her statement, in which he wrote that her coming forward 'was something that could change my life for the better and you should feel very happy' and 'once it's all over, I promise to look after you.' She accepted that the messages could be interpreted as a promise of financial support but said that interpretation 'never crossed my mind' and that the two had never discussed the matter in those terms. She denied needing financial assistance from J.
According to ABC News Australia, as the defence began questioning the witness about her sobriety and a fine she received in 2024, Crown prosecutor Georgina Wright SC accused the defence of attempting to 'besmirch' the witness and called the financial motive argument 'based on nothing,' characterising it as 'a backdoor' to intimidate her. Bashir asked Wright to withdraw the intimidation claim, describing it as a 'grave allegation,' but Wright refused. Judge Glenn Walsh allowed the line of questioning to continue and called for matters to be resolved between the parties. The ex-girlfriend finished giving evidence on Thursday morning.
According to The Guardian, J's older brother testified separately, describing a disclosure J made to him at a McDonald's after Jones's arrest. The brother recounted J saying: 'This is the hardest thing that I've ever had to tell you. You've probably seen the news about the defendant. I'm one of the people who have come forward.' When the brother asked how serious the conduct was, J reportedly replied that Jones 'would grab me on the cock, he would kiss me, those sort of things,' and that Jones 'would ask me if it was OK' and would change the subject and become 'a different person' when J said he was uncomfortable.
According to The Guardian, when asked why he had not disclosed the alleged abuse to his brother sooner, J said: 'It was hard. I didn't want things to stop, the money, the support.' J's brother confirmed to police that J had told him the hugs between himself and Jones grew longer over time, and that on one occasion Jones 'put his hands on my shoulders and told me he loved me.'
According to The Guardian, J's older brother said he met Jones on several occasions in the early 2000s at the broadcaster's homes at Circular Quay and Fitzroy Falls and at the 2GB studios, and that he had never personally witnessed Jones behaving inappropriately toward his younger brother. He described Jones as generous and said Jones offered to help him purchase an engagement ring and gave him a Villeroy & Boch dinner set as a wedding gift. Under cross-examination by Bashir, the brother said J had never told him he was frightened of Jones.
According to The Guardian, J told the court separately that he watched Jones's arrest on television and then decided to make a statement to NSW police, and that he had not told his mother about the alleged abuse because she would have pushed him to report it sooner and he feared he would not be believed.
Where sources differ
- ABC News Australia reports the ex-girlfriend's testimony was heard on Thursday, while The Guardian's account of J's brother's testimony refers to a Tuesday hearing, indicating the two witnesses appeared on different days of the trial rather than in a single session.
- The sources do not establish the full schedule or expected duration of the trial.
- The precise nature and outcome of the $1,200 fine referred to in cross-examination of the ex-girlfriend are not explained in any source.
- The sources do not detail what financial arrangements, if any, exist between J and his ex-girlfriend.
- The sources do not report any direct statement or public comment from Alan Jones outside of the courtroom proceedings.
- The sources do not clarify whether all six complainants have yet testified or what stage of the trial has been reached overall.
- The sources do not identify the specific dates on which all alleged incidents occurred beyond the broad range of 2003 to 2020.
- ABC News Australia — original — by Ethan Rix
- The Guardian — by Amanda Meade
Read the original at ABC News Australia