‘Pick and stick’: Behind Alan Jones’ intriguing choice of lawyer
Alan Jones has the money to pay for any lawyer in the land – here’s why he’s made an unusual choice for his upcoming court battle.
As one of the nation’s richest and most influential media commentators, veteran broadcaster Alan Jones, friend to prime ministers, state premiers, business leaders and billionaires, can afford to have his pick of the nation’s most prominent lawyers.
With tens of millions of dollars to his name, the former 2GB breakfast radio commentator and feted “kingmaker” can pick up the phone to any $20,000-a-day barrister to represent him in his battle against the Crown, which last week brought 26 charges relating to the indecent assault and sexual touching of nine men against Jones – which he has denied.
So why would Jones, a man with aristocratic tastes who has long fashioned himself as a member of the nation’s elite and a regular at Royal Ascot, choose famously pugnacious punter and criminal lawyer Christopher Murphy, whose flamboyant style outside of court is more akin to an over-the-top mouthy boxing promoter.
In one word, history.
‘Pick and stick’
While renowned for playing favourites with his “pick and stick” philosophy, racing enthusiast Jones is also known for having an each-way bet.
With this in mind, some expected that when police came calling, Jones might have picked up the phone to Greg Goold.
For years Jones has been directing celebrity clients the lawyer’s way.
Goold, described as a “gentleman” by those who know him, represented one of Jones’s most tragic former protégés, Olympian Scott Miller, who has repeatedly faced drug charges during the past decade.
Goold also received a referral from Jones when Sons & Daughters actor Rowena Wallace, aka “Pat the Rat”, found herself in need of legal representation after she was charged with multiple counts of cheating Centrelink, for which she ultimately received a suspended sentence.
Goold’s high profile clients have also included musician Jon Stevens, who in 2015 faced assault charges following an argument with his then fiance, fashion designer Jodhi Meares. Those charges were later dropped as Meares’ lawyer acknowledged “there is no history of violence in the relationship.”
Murphy
The lawyer representing Meares in the matter was Murphy, a man’s man who made his name providing legal advice to some of the Milperra Massacre bikies, as well as sex workers, thieves, drug dealers and problem-plagued rugby league players.
Fashion designers didn’t much cross Murphy’s path as a rule but Meares and Murphy shared a notable mutual friend, casino magnate James Packer, Meares’ ex-husband.
Murphy had also represented Meares in 2014 after the former bikini model rolled her Range Rover in Bellevue Hill, crashing into three parked cars while driving with a blood-alcohol reading three times over the limit.
Murphy would tell the court Meares was “haunted” by the break down of her marriage to Packer and she walked away with a 12-month licence disqualification and a $1100 fine.
The Murphy/Packer/Singleton alliance
Murphy’s friendship with Packer was an extension of his attachment to Packer’s larger-than-life father Kerry, with whom the lawyer shared a passion for gambling, rugby league, share trading, rogues and nags.
The Packer/Murphy alliance is said to have begun in the late 1980s, helped along by mutual friends, one of whom was with boxing champion Jeff Fenech whom Murphy represented on assault charges in 1992.
Fellow keen punter, league lover and Newton Jets patron, adman John Singleton was another mate.
Media boss Packer and Singleton had been friends since the 70s when Packer retained Singleton’s advertising services at his television, magazine and newspapers.
Singleton was equally at home among rugby league stars.
One was St George legend Johnny Raper who in 1982 had been charged with 13 counts of receiving stolen goods from a Myer store.
His lawyer in the matter was Murphy who would go on to represent Singleton in an assault case in 1994 where a judge found Singleton guilty of headbutting an accountant at a pub and again in 1997 when Singleton was caught doing 160km/hr in his Bentley, some 40 km/hr over the limit. Singleton walked away from the speeding offence without a fine or conviction.
By 1995, both Singleton and Murphy, who had been on the punt together since the 1980s, had resolutely lined up behind the Packer-backed ARL in the Super League battle.
Murphy had been assiduously building his media profile throughout this period, most notably, from 1990, with a controversial newspaper column at Fairfax Media.
As friends do on occasion, Kerry Packer, who once proclaimed Murphy to be a “genius” is said to have fallen out with Murphy before his death.
Rene Rivkin
Packer would also fall out with his one-time stockbroker Rene Rivkin, who in 1986 bought 50 per cent of Singleton’s ad agency JSA.
Rivkin would claim the fallout with the media magnate was over the stockbroker’s friendship with Packer’s son, James, who Rivkin called his “surrogate son” in an interview on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton.
According to Rivkin, when Packer Sr baulked at throwing his only son a 21st birthday party, the multi-millionaire threw one for the scion.
Packer Jr reached the milestone in September 1988.
That same year Rivkin extended his generosity to 2UE radio broadcaster Jones, offering the fledgling radio star the keys to his Mayfair, London, apartment, or so recounts Jones’s unofficial biographer Chris Masters in his tome “Jonestown”.
It would prove an eventful trip for Jones who was arrested by London police at a Soho public toilet and charged with “outraging public decency”. The charge was later dropped.
South Sydney
Eager to retain his sporting credentials after being replaced as coach of the national rugby union team, the Wallabies, that same year, Jones would two years later take an unpaid role as coach of the Balmain Rugby League Club.
Balmain had some troubled players on its books, but not as many as the “paupers” of the code at the time, South Sydney.
In 1993 Jones moved to Souths as general manager.
Murphy was by then well known to the club, having represented a number of Souths players in 1990 who were accused of wrongdoing.
In years since, Murphy’s firm has continued to represent Souths players including the never-far-from trouble Burgess brothers, Sam and George.
So why Murphy?
While some question why Jones would put his defence in the hands of the occasionally aggressive and brash Murphy, others describe it as a good fit as they believe Murphy would take a bullet for the 83-year-old shock jock.
Their special relationship was on display last week when the 75-year-old lawyer acted as a sort of human shield when Jones was confronted with a media scrum.
At another point in the day’s drama Murphy yelled at a reporter that he would press charges “if you strike me again” after he took a misstep.
(Channel 7’s Chris Reason subsequently described the accusation as unfounded before offering Murphy five camera angles of the incident to prove the lawyer had actually fallen.)
In Jones’s book, loyalty is often rewarded and so Murphy will have his glorious moment of drama, his mise-en-scène, while Jones contemplates which top barrister to retain for Murphy to instruct at trial.
Among those tipped are Greg James KC, Phillip Boulten SC, Simon Buchen SC, Margaret Cunneen SC and Bret Walker SC, who previously represented Cardinal George Pell.
Jones will face Downing Centre Local Court on December 18. He has denied all wrongdoing.
Neither he nor Murphy responded to our requests for comment.
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