Trial told Alan Jones sent athlete weekly flowers, love declarations

In short:

A former politician giving evidence at Alan Jones's trial says he did not see the broadcaster kiss a prominent athlete at an event a decade ago.

Mr Jones has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching.

The trial has been discussing evidence related to one alleged victim, who has not yet given evidence.

A former politician giving evidence in broadcaster Alan Jones's criminal trial has been questioned about an event where Mr Jones allegedly kissed a prominent athlete on the mouth.

Mr Jones has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching relating to six men, and has been standing trial in the NSW Local Court.

An ex-politician, who had been called to give evidence about another complainant, has also been asked about what he saw at an event a decade ago, which he attended.

Mr Jones allegedly kissed a prominent athlete, known as Complainant M, on or near his mouth during that evening, and has been charged with one count of indecent assault.

The former politician was shown several photographs of the event, and under cross-examination by Mr Jones's barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC, he said he did not see anything inappropriate.

"You did not see Alan Jones kissing [Complainant M] on any part of his mouth that night did you?" Ms Bashir asked.

"No," the politician replied.

"If you had seen Alan Jones kissing [Complainant M] on any part of his mouth that night you would remember seeing it, wouldn't you?"

"I would remember that," the politician replied.

The prosecution has told the court that Complainant M, who is yet to give evidence in the trial, received weekly flowers from Mr Jones for more than a year and regularly received text messages with declarations of love and affection.

The former politician said he could not say how often he observed the complainant on the night of alleged offence.

Complainant 'sunken and diminished'

The witness had been called to give evidence about Complainant C, a former colleague of Mr Jones, who has alleged Mr Jones kissed and touched him multiple times in 2008.

He told the court Complainant C worked for him for a period of time, and he took the complainant to a work meeting with Mr Jones in his Circular Quay apartment, in about 2018.

The politician told the court the complainant appeared uncomfortable at the meeting, but he chose not to ask his employee why.

"My recollection of that meeting was C was sunken and diminished," he said.

"I've spent quite a bit of time with [Complainant C], his behaviour was quite different to his normal behaviour."

Another witness, a man who took over Complainant C's job after he left, has told the court Mr Jones never behaved inappropriately towards him.

The witness said Complainant C recommended the job to him, and he did it for a number of months before moving on.

"Did [Complainant C] tell you anything that made you think you had to be on your guard?" Defence barrister Claire O'Neil asked.

"No," the man replied.

"Did he tell you Alan might try to touch your penis in the car?"

"No," he said.

The witness said it was some years after he had finished the job, that Complainant C asked him "in a jovial tone" at a social lunch whether Mr Jones had ever "tried to do anything", and said that Mr Jones had "tried to kiss him in a lift once".

The witness said he was confused by the question, and responded with words like, "What do you mean?"

But he said the conversation moved on.

He said he was then contacted by Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) journalist Kate McClymont in 2023, while she was researching a story about Mr Jones.

"I told her words to the effect of, 'Mr Jones has never done anything to me in that way.' I've told every journalist that who's ever called me," he said.

A statement from the complainant's father-in-law was also read to the court, and described the complainant telling him stories about his time working with Mr Jones, including that Mr Jones "pushed him up against a wall and kissed him".

He said another story involved the complainant going to Mr Jones's apartment known as 'The Toaster', where he said Mr Jones was wearing a robe and nothing underneath, so that when he sat down "his undercarriage was hanging out".

The father-in-law said Complainant C also discussed suing Mr Jones around 2018 or 2019, and that he warned the complainant that he should be "careful of the flow on effects" of being involved in such legal action.

'That's just his behaviour'

Several friends of Complainant C have also given evidence about things the complainant told them about Mr Jones's behaviour.

One man told the court he was on a work trip with Complainant C and talking about Mr Jones, when the man said that the broadcaster had "reached into his crotch and squeezed it" while driving.

"Did you say anything in response?" crown prosecutor Emma Curran asked.

"I said… 'What the f***'," the man said.

"His response was to me, 'That's Alan, that's just his behaviour.'"

Other friends recalled to the court that Complainant C would "joke" or speak in a "light-hearted" way about Mr Jones's alleged assaults in social settings.

One friend said Complainant C described watching horse racing on the TV, and commenting on a "flamboyantly" dressed presenter.

He said Complainant C said the man was "as gay as Alan grabbing me on the cock gay".