Meet Alan Jones’ lawyers, Bryan Wrench and Chris Murphy

When detectives arrived at Alan Jones’s harbourside apartment to arrest him over allegations of indecent assault, a familiar face was running just a few beats behind them.

Lawyers Bryan Wrench and Christopher Murphy at the Day St Police Station on Monday. Picture: NewsWire / Dylan Coker

When detectives arrived at Alan Jones’s harbourside apartment to arrest him over allegations of indecent assault, a familiar face was running just a few beats behind them: criminal solicitor Bryan Wrench.

Known widely as the defence lawyer to the stars, Mr Wrench has acted for everyone from NRL super­star Sam Burgess to former Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll to TV actor John Jarratt.

Now Mr Wrench has collected Jones as his latest client after NSW police charged the former radio shock jock with 24 offences spanning two decades.

The Sydney lawyer arrived at Jones’s Circular Quay apartment in Sydney about 9am on Monday, shortly after police executed a search warrant of the property following an investigation into allegations the 83-year-old had preyed on eight alleged victims, including a 17-year-old boy.

Bryan Wrench with retired NRL star Sam Burgess.

Mr Wrench, 36, often gets the call up when a celebrity or socialite finds themselves in trouble with the law.

He acted for Noll when the singer pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine in 2019. Noll was issued a 12-month good behaviour bond, with a magistrate saying he had never recovered from the death of his father. No criminal conviction was recorded.

Later that year, Mr Wrench represented Jarratt after the Wolf Creek actor was accused of an historic sexual assault. A jury found Jarratt not guilty after just 15 minutes of deliberations.

A graduate of selective school Sydney Boys High, Mr Wrench was offered work experience with criminal lawyer Chris Murphy while he was still in school, and worked there while studying at Macquarie University.

Mr Murphy was also present with Jones on Monday, threatening to have a television journalist charged for apparently “striking” him.

“I told you before, if you strike me again I’ll have you charged, get back,” he said.

Mr Wrench acted for boxer Harry Garside’s ex-girlfriend Ashley Ruscoe.

In 2019, Mr Wrench assisted in overturning the conviction of late cardboard billionaire Richard Pratt’s longtime mistress Shari-Lea Hitchcock, who had been accused of assaulting a police officer.

He acted for Guy Sebastian’s neighbour Phillip Hanslow last year after the inaugural Australian Idol winner accused Mr Hanslow of threatening to kill him. Police alleged Mr Hanslow threatened to kill Sebastian outside their homes in January last year, with the confrontation caught on video.

All charges were dropped against Mr Hanslow after he agreed to an apprehended violence order, meaning he could not approach, contact or harass Sebastian for four months.

Musician Shannon Noll with Mr Wrench.

When allegations of indecent assault against Jones first arose late last year, the former 2GB host was quick to recruit defamation law firm Mark O’Brien Legal to jump to his defence.

“The allegations against Alan Jones by Kate McClymont published today in the Nine news­papers are demonstrably false,” the lawyers said in a statement at the time.

“In the short time available since publication, we have obtained substantial factual information which contradicts and refutes the alleged pattern of conduct by Mr Jones.

“We have retained senior counsel and have instructions to immediately serve a concerns notice under section 12A of the Defamation Act as the first step in the commencement of defamation proceedings.”

The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday said legal action was yet to be commenced.

Mark O’Brien Legal recently represented former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann in his unsuccessful defamation action against Network 10 and TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson.

The firm also acted for actor Craig McLachlan in a case against Nine Newspapers, the ABC and actor Christie Whelan-Browne.

McLachlan eventually dropped the case and was subsequently obliged to pay millions of dollars in legal costs.