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A close friend of Alan Jones has told a court that a cohort of “lefties” hate the former 2GB heavyweight, as he denied witnessing any alleged sexual impropriety by the broadcaster.
“I’m happy to defend the man’s honour anywhere,” the witness told the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday of the sentiment he had expressed to Jones in a text message.
The friend was called to give evidence about his recollection of a lunch where a man dubbed complainant “C” has claimed Jones put his hand under the table and touched him on the penis over his clothing. Jones denies the allegation.
The witness, whom this masthead has chosen not to name to avoid indirect identification of “C”, told the court he did not see the alleged incident and he did not believe it happened.
“I suggest that you did witness that event,” prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, pressed.
“I did not,” he said.
The man said he did not recall attending the specific lunch about 20 years ago, although he did remember attending lunches generally with Jones and others.
He agreed he regarded Jones as a close friend with whom he had an unbreakable bond.“I can unequivocally say I have never seen Mr Jones do anything sexually inappropriate,” he told the court.
He added that in his view “you would not forget” seeing someone with Jones’ profile acting in this way.
The man rejected a suggestion by Wright that he was more concerned with his loyalty to Jones than answering questions truthfully.
Expletive-laden texts
Text messages read in court revealed the witness told Jones that The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont was “sniffing around” a story about Jones in October 2023.
The man used expletives when referring to the Walkley Award-winning journalist, the court heard.
“If you need me to refute any lies I, of course, will,” the man told Jones. He referred in another text to a “bullshit witch hunt”.
The witness gave evidence he agreed to speak to McClymont in November 2023 after Jones asked him to do so.
“My understanding is she’s had it in for Mr Jones for years,” he told the court.
He said of allegations against Jones that “I didn’t think [them] to be true because I, like many people, know the sort of man that he is”.
‘These people are sick’
On December 7, 2023, the day McClymont’s article was published, the man texted Jones: “These people are sick. The support you have is amazing and your loyal friends will always be there for you xx”.
“Who were you calling sick in that message?” Wright asked.
“People of the left that have always hated Mr Jones,” the witness replied. “I was referring to Ms McClymont and her cohorts.”
“And her cohorts?” Wright asked.
“Well, other lefties that hate Mr Jones,” he said. “There’s a string of them that have always hated Mr Jones, which is very public.”
NSW Police set up Strike Force Bonnefin in response to this masthead’s reporting. Jones was arrested in November 2024.
The witness was shown a series of effusive messages he sent Jones between December 2022 and March 2023, including one that said: “I still can’t believe I’m close with the greatest broadcaster there has been”.
Wright put to the man that he had “significantly understated” his admiration for the broadcaster in his statement to police. “I was never asked,” he said.
“Were you trying to give the impression that you were impartial in giving your statement?” Wright asked.
“No, I just gave a factual account,” the witness said.
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 between 2003 and 2020.
Jones denies any of the alleged physical acts occurred.
Of the 22 charges, eight indecent assault charges relate to “C” and involve alleged touching of the complainant’s penis over his clothing, or kissing.
‘It didn’t happen’
The witness said he had “always maintained” the alleged lunch incident didn’t happen and he told McClymont that.
“I was happy to tell her it didn’t happen,” he said. “It never happened in my presence ever, anywhere.”
Wright said: “There’s a difference between you didn’t see it and it didn’t happen, do you agree with that?”
“Well, I can only speak from what I see or, in this case, didn’t see,” he said.
The man insisted he had “never seen” the incident alleged by the Crown.
“You laughed about it with [then 2GB host] Jason Morrison … didn’t you?” Wright pressed.
“No,” he said.
Morrison’s evidence
Morrison, who is now chief of staff at The Daily Telegraph, has given evidence that he did not see Jones with his hand under the table.
However, Morrison told the court there were jokes at the lunch about “C” and Jones looking like a “great couple” because the broadcaster put his arm over the young man’s shoulders.
On Tuesday, Jones’ friend denied joking to “C” that the complainant had “copped a feel”.
“I don’t use that sort of language,” he said. He said he had never attended a lunch where people joked in his presence about Jones giving romantic attention to “C”.
Later on Tuesday the complainant’s best friend testified that “C” told him: “Can you believe that Alan puts his hand on my lap … Can you believe he tried to kiss me in the lift … Can you believe that he walks around … in just the robe and nothing else?”
He said “C” told him: “What am I supposed to do, do you know how influential this man is?”
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.
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