Alan Jones indecent assault trial: Court told accuser looked ‘devastated’
A man who has accused Alan Jones of groping him at a lunch at a Sydney restaurant appeared ‘devastated’, a witness has told the court. WARNING: graphic content.
WARNING: graphic content
A man who has alleged that Alan Jones groped him under the table at a lunch looked “distraught”, “in shock”, “upset” and “devastated”, a witness has told the veteran radio broadcaster’s trial.
Mr Jones, 85, is standing trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, where he is fighting 22 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching having denied the allegations made by six male complainants.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.One man, who can only be identified as C, told the court during his evidence that Mr Jones repeatedly kissed and groped him, including at a Mosman restaurant in Sydney’s north in front of several people.
Mr Jones has denied the allegations.
Eight of the 22 counts of indecent assault relate to C, who told the court that several people witnessed Mr Jones touch him under the table.
C told the court that he was “deeply embarrassed” and one person who was at the lunch later remarked to him: “You copped a feel under the table? Did you like it?”
A series of witnesses are due to give evidence to the court about what they saw at the lunch.
‘Distraught’
One witness told the court on Friday that he was at the lunch at the Mosman restaurant when he overheard two other people who appeared “amused”.
He told the court he saw Mr Jones at the other end of the table with a wine in one hand and his left hand under the table.
Asked if he could see what was happening under the table, the witness said: “No.”
“He looked distraught,” he told the court of his observations of C.
The witness further told the court that C appeared “in shock, upset”.
He said he later overheard a conversation two other guests had with C.
At the time, one of the other guests was smoking on a lawn outside the restaurant.
The witness told the court that one of the men commented to C: “You were copping a feel under the table.”
Asked by Crown prosecutor Georgina Wright whether C replied, the witness said: “He (C) was shaking his head, saying ‘unbelievable’, his head was down.”
“I remember thinking ‘something bad has happened here’,” he said.
He told the court that he later saw C, who “looked absolutely devastated”.
Under questioning from Mr Jones’ barrister Michael Burke, the witness told the court he did not include some details in his police statement, including that Mr Jones had a wine glass in one hand.
The trial continues.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Originally published as Alan Jones accuser looked ‘devastated’: court
