Alan Jones’s ‘grave concerns’ about police raid on his Sydney home
The indecent assault trial of Alan Jones will be delayed as his lawyers fight police over the handling of a raid on the former radio anchor’s home.
The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has delayed formalising charges against former shock jock Alan Jones, accused of groping and indecently assaulting almost a dozen young men, amid a dispute over police processes.
NSW Police raided “the Toaster”, Jones’s luxury harbourside apartment along Circular Quay, on November 18 last year. Jones’s lawyer Bryan Wrench on Tuesday raised “grave concerns” about the handling of the raid and said NSW Police had engaged legal representation to resolve the matter.
As a result, both Jones and the DPP sought an adjournment on the charge certification, which was granted by judge Jennifer Giles. The matter will return on September 18.
Mr Wrench detailed a legal showdown behind closed doors over the contents of briefs of evidence, including “downloads of our client’s (Jones’) telephone devices”, and an additional brief “including statements police had in their possession since December and January”.
“We have written to the police about their duty of disclosure. They said they don’t have any. We’re quite concerned about that,” he said.
“Those matters hopefully will be resolved.”
Mr Wrench paraphrased outgoing police commissioner Karen Webb, saying she had made assurances “police are working tirelessly but they seemed to be puffed out”.
The backroom legal discussions also concerned “journalistic privilege as well as issues of legal privilege”, the court heard. Sydney Morning Herald journalist Kate McClymont, who broke numerous stories about the allegations, is set to be called as a witness in proceedings.
Jones in May challenged the “blatantly contradictory” statements of his accusers, saying the DPP should consider whether it took the matter to trial.
Mr Wrench, appeared before the Downing Centre Local Court that month to push for an eight-week adjournment, supported by the Office of the DPP.
Mr Wrench argued the evidence of Jones’s alleged “sexually inappropriate” conduct lacked scrutiny. “Since the last occasion we have received the brief of evidence,” Mr Wrench said.
“There are statements which we feel are blatantly contradictory.
“Some of the witnesses said they had never seen Mr Jones engage in any sexually inappropriate behaviour at all.
“It’s a matter by agreement that it should be adjourned for eight weeks for the DPP to consider whether to withdraw this matter.”
Jones is free on bail and has denied all charges against him.
While initially restricted to living in Sydney under his bail conditions, this was relaxed in December to allow him to travel provided police are given 72 hours’ notice.
NSW police lobbed an additional charge at the long-reigning lead anchor of 2GB in March for the alleged assault of an 11th alleged victim dubbed Complainant K.
The charge was laid after investigation by Strike Force Bonnefin, a dedicated section of the child abuse squad assigned to investigate alleged acts of indecent assault and sexual touching by Jones from 2001 to 2019.
At a March hearing, Mr Wrench told the court Jones was concerned McClymont would be called as a witness to the proceedings, despite having written a story that week about new allegations against Jones.
“As of today she has published an article in the Sydney Morning Herald talking about (the) case when she’s a witness called in the proceedings,” he said. “I’m worried it will be part of an anti-Jones crusade.”
Jones, 83, had 26 charges laid initially after testimony from nine alleged victims. This rose to 34 in December when a tenth alleged victim came forward.
“Firstly, let me say this: I am certainly not guilty and I will be presenting my account to a jury, as you heard this morning,” Jones said outside court in December.
“I will not be engaging in a running commentary in the media, but I want you to understand this: these allegations are either baseless or distort the truth.
“I have never indecently assaulted these people … the law assumes I am not guilty, and I am not guilty.
“I am emphatic that I’ll be defending every charge before a jury in due course.”
The alleged offences are said to have taken place across the state, namely at a property in the Southern Highland, a former Newtown address, and Jones’s Circular Quay apartment.
He faces 11 counts of aggravated assault, 20 counts of indecent assault, two counts of sexual touching and two counts of common assault. His youngest alleged victim was 17 at the time of his alleged assault, police said.
In documents made available following Jones’s first hearing on December 18, he was alleged to have kissed the tenth alleged victim on the mouth, and squeezed and rubbed his penis. Police will argue this happened on eight occasions between 2003 and 2004 in Sydney, Mittagong and Fitzroy Falls.
Another alleged victim, referred to as Complainant C, was said to have worked “under the authority of the accused (Jones)”.
After allegations against Jones were detailed by the Nine newspapers in December last year, he pledged to launch defamation action against the Nine newspapers and dispute their reporting. Any civil action launched by Jones would likely be deferred until after the outcome of the criminal trial.
Push for welfare debt time cap
The Albanese government accepted all recommendations made by Robodebt commissioner Catherine Holmes but has yet to legislate a cap that would prevent raising of decades-old debts.
My fears over Mark Latham sex videos
In an emotional interview, Nathalie Matthews speaks for the first time since accusing Mark Latham of domestic abuse.