Alan Jones, the former Australia rugby coach and one of the most influential voices in Australian broadcasting, appeared at Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Monday as his trial on sexual offence charges got under way.
The 85-year-old has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent. The alleged offences span nearly two decades, between 2003 and 2020, and are said to have taken place at various locations across Sydney and at his farm in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. None of the six complainants can be identified for legal reasons.
Jones, who coached the Wallabies for four years from early 1984 and led them to 86 wins in 102 Tests, chose to be tried by a judge alone, with Glenn Walsh presiding. The court heard the trial is expected to run for months, with more than 70 witnesses due to give evidence.
In her opening address, prosecutor Georgina Wright told the court that the first complainant was a 14-year-old aspiring athlete when he met Jones, who supported his training with a phone, a car and hundreds of dollars a week. The man said he was grateful for that backing but that the relationship was "tainted by unwanted kisses and groping", describing an occasion on which Jones allegedly assaulted him while he was driving. "I had one of the most powerful men in the country in the car. I had to focus on the road," he testified.
Wright also said a second complainant, a 21-year-old who worked on Jones's radio programme, would testify that Jones called him "darling" and groped him while he was driving.
Opening for the defence, Gabrielle Bashir said the allegations had been concocted, telling the court that "rivalry, treachery, double dealing, money, hatred, desperation, opportunism and more are at the heart of this case".
Jones hosted a hugely popular Sydney breakfast show for close to two decades and was a towering figure in Australian media and conservative politics, having worked as a speechwriter for prime minister Malcolm Fraser. The charges followed a police investigation prompted by 2023 reporting in The Sydney Morning Herald; Jones was charged in 2024.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/australia-trial-alan-jones-sydney-rugby-coach-7180b714188d972be308ffa339cb38c0
- https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/former-australian-radio-host-national-rugby-coach-alan-135316311
