Alan Jones trial live updates: complainant alleges broadcaster ‘groped’ him on the bum and ‘it was aggressive’ | Alan Jones trial
Complainant says Jones ‘groped’ him on the bum and ‘it was aggressive’
Warning: this post contains graphic content.
Complainant J is now giving evidence about a second alleged indecent assault that allegedly occurred at Alan Jones’s Fitzroy Falls farm.
J told the court this morning that after the first alleged indecent assault on the same evening, he and Jones watched TV for a while and discussed sport.
J “mentioned I was getting tired and I was going to bed”.
After J, who was 17 at the time, went to his room, he alleged that he heard a “tap, tap, tap” and Jones came into the room:
He said ‘is everything OK [J]?’
J alleged Jones came closer and said in a “really passionate voice … ‘I love you mate’ and pulled me in for a cuddle”.
He alleged that Jones “groped” him on the bum and that “it was aggressive”.
While I was being held by the buttocks he reached around and undid my robe and he pulled my underpants down a quarter way down my legs.
He started to wiggle his body so our penises would cross and touch each other.
There was a slight opportunity where the grip … was released … I was able to step back and sat on the bed, and said I was going to go to bed.
J alleged that Jones then walked to the other side of the bed:
My heart was racing. I was as scared and nervous as I had been in a long time. It was that feeling when you go into a room you’ve never been in, like a scary room, my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest.
The defendant placed his hand on my penis and began to squeeze it tight and release it. I was frozen.
J alleged Jones then said “let’s come together” and they both masturbated.
I thought if I do this, and I just do it myself, it can be over … and would prevent him from doing it or being near me or touching me. I thought it was the quickest way to make it over and done with, and that’s what happened.
J told the court he did not consent to what unfolded in the room.
Key events
Complainant J says he intended to ‘stand up to’ Jones during Macquarie Street visit
Complainant J is now giving evidence about a visit to Alan Jones’s Macquarie Street apartment. He said he accepted the invitation because he was “going to stand up to him”.
J told the court:
I was going to say no to everything and I was going to stand up to him … I am so disappointed [I didn’t]. I convinced myself I was going to do it.
He alleged in court that, during the visit, Jones criticised his appearance, including his clothes, hair and teeth. J alleged Jones gave him five $100 notes and told him to go and buy some clothes.
The complainant told the court he later went back to the apartment wearing the new clothes and Jones said: “That’s great, wonderful, a million times better.”
I said ‘here’s the change’. He said ‘put it in your pocket mate’ and he closed my hand.
J alleged that after the pair had dinner, Jones said he loved him and kissed him:
I was prepared to stand up to him and I didn’t. I just froze.
It’s different planning and thinking about something. Being in that situation, having that person, the defendant, who I saw as so powerful … I just froze. I didn’t think anyone would believe me. I thought if I did stand up to him I’d have to lose everything … I’d lose my athletics career.
It upsets me now that I didn’t.
Complainant J has spoken about a second visit to Alan Jones’s Fitzroy Falls property, where no alleged assault occurred.
He told the court that before this visit he had done “whatever I could to not go there on my own”.
He said he accepted the invitation after he asked Jones if his family could come too, and Jones agreed.
J told the court his family then left and he stayed the night at the farm.
He told the court that he wasn’t Jones’s only guest – a former tennis player and his son were also visiting the property.
Complainant says Jones ‘groped’ him on the bum and ‘it was aggressive’
Warning: this post contains graphic content.
Complainant J is now giving evidence about a second alleged indecent assault that allegedly occurred at Alan Jones’s Fitzroy Falls farm.
J told the court this morning that after the first alleged indecent assault on the same evening, he and Jones watched TV for a while and discussed sport.
J “mentioned I was getting tired and I was going to bed”.
After J, who was 17 at the time, went to his room, he alleged that he heard a “tap, tap, tap” and Jones came into the room:
He said ‘is everything OK [J]?’
J alleged Jones came closer and said in a “really passionate voice … ‘I love you mate’ and pulled me in for a cuddle”.
He alleged that Jones “groped” him on the bum and that “it was aggressive”.
While I was being held by the buttocks he reached around and undid my robe and he pulled my underpants down a quarter way down my legs.
He started to wiggle his body so our penises would cross and touch each other.
There was a slight opportunity where the grip … was released … I was able to step back and sat on the bed, and said I was going to go to bed.
J alleged that Jones then walked to the other side of the bed:
My heart was racing. I was as scared and nervous as I had been in a long time. It was that feeling when you go into a room you’ve never been in, like a scary room, my heart felt like it was going to come out of my chest.
The defendant placed his hand on my penis and began to squeeze it tight and release it. I was frozen.
J alleged Jones then said “let’s come together” and they both masturbated.
I thought if I do this, and I just do it myself, it can be over … and would prevent him from doing it or being near me or touching me. I thought it was the quickest way to make it over and done with, and that’s what happened.
J told the court he did not consent to what unfolded in the room.
Complainant J tells court he would mention his girlfriend to try to avoid Jones’s assaults
Complainant J has told the court that a “tactic” he’d use to try to avoid Alan Jones’s alleged assaults was to bring up the girlfriend he had at the time.
J said he used this tactic during the alleged assault at the Fitzroy Falls property.
He told the court:
I already mentioned to him that I’d never done anything like that with a man. I thought if I brought up my girlfriend it would help.
Broadcaster allegedly told teenager ‘have a shower and come out wearing a robe and nothing else’
A reminder of our warning that this live blog may contain graphic content when discussing evidence in the trial.
Complainant J has alleged that after he and Alan Jones finished dinner at Jones’s Fitzroy Falls property, Jones told him “to go and have a shower and come out wearing a robe and nothing else”.
Prosecutor Georgina Wright asked:
Did you do it?
J, who was a teenager at the time of the alleged incident, responded:
No, I put my underpants on and then I put the robe on and went out.
The defendant was in a room with a grand piano, the court heard.
Wright said: “Why did you put the underpants on?”
J told the court: “I almost knew what was going to happen … he’s going to touch me.”
J alleged Jones was sitting on the lounge, also in a robe and was drinking a glass of wine.
J alleged that Jones “looked me straight in the eye” and said in a “quiet”, “calm” and “sympathising tone”: “I said the robe and nothing.”
J alleged in court that Jones then “put his hand back on my penis and started rubbing it”.
Complainant J begins today’s evidence via video link
Complainant J has begun his evidence again today, appearing via video link.
The prosecutor, Georgina Wright, is clarifying evidence about an incident detailed by J yesterday.
J alleged that one of the indecent assaults occurred while he was driving Jones to his Fitzroy Falls farm. J alleged that Jones grabbed his penis over his pants and then under his underpants.
He also alleged that, when he got out of the car, Jones kissed him without his consent.
J told the court this morning:
It was always a kiss or an action first. Then I’d be asked if ‘this is OK, are you comfortable with that?’
However, he said that did not occur during this particular alleged incident.
There was no follow-up. It was straight into ‘let’s go look at the house and the property’.
On some occasions there was a cuddle beforehand or an indicator to make me believe a kiss was coming. But on that occasion he gave me a kiss much quicker than I expected.
Alan Jones has arrived in the courtroom. The proceedings are expected to kick off again in a moment.
On day one of the trial, the court heard several of the nine alleged indecent assaults against complainant J.
In case you missed our live coverage yesterday, below is a wrap of what was alleged in the first day of J’s evidence in chief.
Once J’s evidence in chief on each of the nine allegations is complete, he will be cross-examined by Alan Jones’s legal team.
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Alan Jones first met complainant J when he was 14 years old and a star school athlete and “praised” him about his sports ability.
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J alleged that Jones made a weekly deposit of $400 a week into his bank account and told him he didn’t have to tell anyone because it was a gift.
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J, who was a teenager at the time, alleged that he was asked to drive Jones to a function in Canberra, and while the pair were alone in the hotel room Jones allegedly kissed him in a “smothering” way.
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J alleged that after the Canberra incident Jones told him he had “been a really good boy” and increased his weekly stipend.
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J told the court he didn’t tell his coach about an alleged incident because he “felt I’d lose everything” and said that he had “come from a small family” and “was getting everything handed” to him and it was a “wonderful life”.
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J alleged that one of the indecent assault incidents occurred while he was driving Jones to his Fitzroy Falls farm and Jones grabbed his penis over his pants and then under his underpants.
The trial is expected to resume at 10am with complainant J continuing his evidence. I’m in court now with Amanda Meade to follow all the developments on day two.
If you want a summary of what happened yesterday, you can read Ben Doherty’s analysis below:
The booming voice, the vast radio audience, the bully pulpit of an eponymous TV show, the great and the good on speed-dial, a staffer in the prime ministerial office dubbed the ‘minister for Alan Jones’: these were not ancillaries peripheral to the Jones empire, they were central to it.
Even walking into court on Monday, at the centre of a glacially moving press pack, it was all about Alan.
That evaporated as soon as he stepped inside the claustrophobic confines of court 3.1.
Here he is simply ‘the defendant’.
Welcome
Welcome to day two of the Alan Jones indecent assault trial
On Monday, a former schoolboy athlete told the court he didn’t tell anyone that the broadcaster, now 85, was allegedly kissing him and touching his genitalia when he was a teenager because he was “fearful” of losing Jones’s financial support.
The man, known as complainant J, is expected to continue giving evidence via video link on Tuesday.
J is the first of six complainants expected to give evidence of their alleged indecent assault by Jones, who is facing 22 charges. The trial before judge Glenn Walsh at Downing Centre local court is expected to run for four months and hear from 76 witnesses.
Jones has denied all wrongdoing and said the allegations are either baseless or distorted the truth.
Jones’s defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC on Monday argued that the alleged victims had been egged on to complain by media rivals – and their reliability and credibility were questionable.
I’m Jordyn Beazley and I’ll be keeping you up to date throughout the day alongside my colleague Amanda Meade.
