Wagner brothers: Alan Jones’ comments ‘abhorrent and vicious’

ALAN Jones has commented after four Queensland brothers were awarded a record damages payout in a defamation case involving the shock jock. It comes after the brothers called his verbal attacks “abhorrent, vicious, deceitful and spiteful”.

ALAN Jones has commented after four Queensland brothers were awarded a record damages payout in a defamation case involving the shock jock.

A judge today said Mr Jones ran a “campaign of vilification’’ against the four Toowoomba brothers he accused of being responsible for the deaths of 12 people in the 2011 Grantham floods.

Mr Jones said he needed to read the entire judgment very carefully.

“I do feel that I have somehow let down the people of the Lockyer Valley who sought my assistance.

“As the judge found in this case, I sought to ventilate concerns expressed to me by those people.

“I am restrained in what I can say because I am now subject to injunctions and will be making no further comment.”

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Macquarie Media said 2GB was disappointed by the decision and 2GB, 4BC and Mr Jones would be considering their appeal options carefully.

The comments come after the Wagner brothers represented in the Wagner/Jones defamation case — John, Denis, Neill and Joe — have expressed relief after their six-year ordeal in which they endured attacks they today described as “abhorrent, vicious, deceitful and spiteful”.

Denis Wagner, who represented the family at the Grantham Flood Inquiry which found the family quarry had not contributed to the Grantham floods of January 2011, read a prepared statement outside the Supreme Court this morning after the verdict was delivered by Justice Peter Flanagan.

“It (the judgment) clearly stated that comments by Alan Jones were inflammatory and untrue,’’ Mr Wagner said.

“Our family, and us as individuals, have faced vilification from Mr Jones since 2011.’

Mr Wagner said the attacks on the Wagner family were unrelenting until legal action was taken.

“The Wagner family has been part of the Darling Downs and Toowoomba community since the mid 1850s,’’ Mr Wagner said.

“My brothers and I have, as our parents and grandparents have, endeavoured to build an enterprise and build a real future and make a real contribution to the future of our families, the future of the region and the future of the wider community.’’

Mr Wagner said Mr Jones and the co-defenders relentlessly misled their listeners — the people who entrusted them to be honest and truthful.

Joe, John, Dennis and Neill Wagner speak to the media outside the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

“They did this at great expense to our family and to the Toowoomba community.

“”We decided to take a stand against this abhorrent, vicious and deceitful, spiteful behaviour.

“Justice Flanagan has delivered a judgment today which has clearly indicated that people, regardless of how much influence they consider themselves to have, can be held accountable for their words and their actions.

“This gives us enormous confidence in our system of justice.’’

Mr Wagner said he and his three brothers had been extremely grateful for the support they had received from their families, employees, “and all those who have offered us encouragement through this process.’’

Mr Wagner said the family had not considered what to do with the proceeds of the judgement until they had considered the judgement further, as well as the matter of costs.

Originally published as Wagner brothers: Alan Jones’ comments ‘abhorrent and vicious’