Alan Jones trial: Radio king allegedly wooed teen with gifts, celebrities
The loved ones of an athlete allegedly indecently assaulted by Alan Jones have detailed how the longtime shock jock showered him with luxuries. WARNING: graphic content.
WARNING: graphic content
A glittering array of celebrity encounters, star-studded events, lavish gifts and modern conveniences.
It’s alleged these were the things talkback titan Alan Jones offered a young athlete but that his abundant generosity came with strings attached.
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Jones has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges of indecent assault and two charges of touching without consent against the men, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
The 85-year-old bon vivant has donned a colourful array of suits and a look of fixed concentration during the first two weeks of his fight against the charges in a NSW Local Court.
Occasional smiles at the now-waning media pack outside the courthouse have been replaced with focus, assiduous note-taking and whispered asides to his lawyers once inside.
The former Wallabies coach and failed politician has long been known for his famous connections and his ability to make or break careers.
It was that star power that awed an up-and-coming athlete, who first met Jones when he was about 14 years old and later accompanied him to high-profile events.
The teenager called the longtime shock jock a champion “all the time”, according to his former coach.
He recalled how excited the athlete was to brush shoulders with household names, including sports stars and a former prime minister, all thanks to Jones.
“Some of (the athlete’s) most enjoyable experiences came from his association with Alan,” his former coach told the court.
“He would be very excited.”
But Jones offered more than networking and connections, buying a mobile phone for the athlete in his late teens so they could stay in contact.
“I remember (the athlete) saying the phone was valued at $1500. It was one of the first camera phones,” the former coach said.
The gift was followed by a car to travel to and from training and a weekly stipend of up to $600.
While the athlete’s brother said he didn’t think the payments were a secret, his former coach didn’t think they were common knowledge.
His ex-girlfriend told the court she viewed the funding as a type of sponsorship and described the athlete as splurging his money at times.
Jones’s generosity towards the athlete began before the first alleged indecent assault and continued for years after he retired from sport, the court has been told.
His largesse wasn’t only confined to the athlete, with his mother telling the court she had received a dishwasher, flowers and a hamper from Jones.
Jones’ support for the athlete went beyond financial, according to the athlete’s former coach and confidante.
He said the former teacher spoke about ways to boost the athlete’s visibility in the media and would support him at competitions, telling him: “I love you mate”.
But the support allegedly had a darker side, with Jones accused of indecently assaulting the athlete on nine occasions, beginning when he was about 18 years old.
It started with an unwanted kiss at the radio giant’s home in Circular Quay and escalated to multiple instances of non-consensual groping in the NSW Southern Highlands, the athlete claims.
He accepted Jones had been an “unfailingly generous” supporter who saw his potential from a young age and helped him even after he had retired.
He told the court he was reluctant to report Jones to police because he didn’t want to lose the support and financial backing the older man had provided.
“I was fearful of him but I was also accepting these things from him,” the athlete attested.
At one point, the court was told he had only 23 cents in his bank account before a timely payment from Jones.
The athlete has consistently denied fabricating the allegations against Jones to reap a financial reward, telling the court he only wants justice for Jones’s alleged actions.
The defendant’s barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC foreshadowed the significance of money in the court battle during her opening address two weeks ago.
“Rivalry, treachery, double dealing, money, hatred, desperation, opportunism and more are at the heart of this case,” she declared.
She has argued the athlete - the first complainant to give evidence - and his ex-girlfriend would financially benefit from fabricating allegations.
The ex-girlfriend denied suggestions she was financially motivated to make a statement to police about the complaint the athlete made to her more than two decades ago.
The athlete came to her house directly after an overnight stay at Jones’ home, looking uncomfortable and acting completely unlike himself, she said.
“It was like he’d seen a ghost,” she told the court.
It was then that the athlete allegedly first disclosed he had been assaulted by Jones and it remained the only time he did so until going to police in 2024.
When she asked if he wanted to go to the police at the time, he allegedly swore her to secrecy and aggressively told her she couldn’t tell anyone.
The ex-girlfriend made a statement to police in 2024 about what she says he first confided in her, prompting him to thank her and call her a “shooting star”.
“Once it’s all over, I promise I’ll look after you,” he wrote in pages-long message.
Both the athlete and ex-girlfriend denied this represented a promise to provide her with a financial reward.
“It does look like that but it never crossed my mind,” she said.
“I know he didn’t mean that either.”
Her evidence took a dramatic turn when Ms Bashir began to question her about a large fine she received about the time of her statement.
Crown prosecutor Georgina Wright SC objected, arguing it was an attempt to “besmirch” the witness.
Ms Bashir asked her to withdraw the “grave allegation”, which the prosecutor did, clarifying her heated response had been aimed at protecting the witness.
Judge Glenn Walsh noted the strong submission had been made in the heat of the moment and allowed the line of questioning, ruling it didn’t amount to intimidation.
He noted the exemplary co-operation of the parties and reminded everyone of the long road ahead.
It was far from the only dramatic scene during the second week of Jones’ defence of the charges.
On Tuesday, the athlete’s ex-girlfriend was cut off by an evacuation alert sounding throughout the court complex, forcing the packed trial to empty.
She was prevented from returning to the witness box on Wednesday amid legal argument over the dates of the athlete’s allegations.
When finally allowed to continue the following day, she was interrupted multiple times by legal objections requiring her to leave the room.
After two weeks of an estimated four-month hearing, it’s unlikely they will be the last disruptions in the high-profile and high-stakes case.
