Alan Jones claims invalid warrants, police impropriety and ‘willy-nilly’ search in sex abuse investigation | Alan Jones
Police have been accused of acting inappropriately when raiding the home of former shock jock Alan Jones during a sexual assault investigation.
Officers searched the 85-year-old’s Sydney home in November 2024 following an eight-month investigation into reports of historical sexual abuse.
On Tuesday their lawyers told Sydney’s Downing Center local court that NSW police should reveal which officers accessed or downloaded material from their phones and through intercepted calls, arguing search warrants may be invalid.
His lawyer, Gabrielle Bashir SC, said: “The phone was seized and the evidence to date shows that it was then searched willy-nilly.”
The warrant apparently remained “bad,” in part because it meant Jones was accused of sexual intercourse without consent, among other crimes.
Bashir argued that these were not the accusations the radio veteran was facing.
Jones pleaded not guilty to 25 charges of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching against nine victims over nearly two decades while running the outlet.
Bashir stated that his client could apply for a temporary or permanent stay of the trial or claim that some evidence be rejected because it was obtained illegally.
Lawyer Peter Singleton, representing the NSW police commissioner, said there was no evidence the officers engaged in any improper conduct or that the warrant was invalid.
He said the court should not order the release of documents merely to allow Jones’ defense team to see if there is anything that would support a future bid to stay the case.
“Finding out whether there is a case is fishing,” he told Judge Glenn Walsh.
Jones will contest the allegations at a four-month hearing starting in August.
The defense team is fighting to gain access to documents from the police and the complainants involved.
In March, Bashir told the court they were still waiting for “a lot of material” to be produced.
Jones is accused of sexual harassment against nine complainants between 2003 and 2020, both privately and in public places such as restaurants and high-profile events.
The accusations, which Jones claims are “either unfounded or distort the truth”, come after he retired from the highly influential broadcasting career he launched in 1985.
During his decades on the air, Jones became a feared interviewer who excelled at questioning leaders while dividing audiences with his outspoken views.
Before joining rival 2GB, he worked at Sydney radio station 2UE, where he broke ratings records for a long time until 2020.
Apart from his unsuccessful streak in politics, he also coached the Australian national men’s rugby union team, achieving some historic successes between 1984 and 1988.
