A prominent athlete who has accused Alan Jones of twice kissing him without consent has told a Sydney court he continued to text the broadcaster after the alleged assaults because Jones was powerful and had been generous to him.
asserted
Jones → accuse → him
The witness, who is appearing for a second day in the seventh week of a lengthy trial, agreed he had sent Jones friendly messages after the two alleged assaults.
asserted
he → appear → assaults
He was asked by prosecutor Georgina Wright SC why he wished Jones a happy Christmas and new year after the defendant allegedly kissed him and pressed his genitalia against his leg.
uncertain
defendant → ask → leg
“I was being polite,” he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
“I made reference [yesterday] to the challenges of the relationship between myself and the defendant.
asserted
I → make → myself
“Someone that has a presence in the media, someone that has a reputation around what they do.
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they → have → what
“That’s why I believe I am wishing them the best for Christmas even though an incident has occurred prior to this at their house.
asserted
incident → ’ → house
The former athlete, who is known as complainant M, is the third of six complainants to give evidence.
asserted
who → know → evidence
Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 20 charges of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching.
asserted
Jones → plead → touching
Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC took the witness through his evidence-in-chief about the flattering texts Jones sent him, which included: “If someone hasn’t told you, let me be the person who tells you that you’re special.”
asserted
you → take → you
M has told the court the “incredibly overwhelmingly complimentary” texts made him feel uncomfortable.
asserted
him → tell → court
Bashir suggested some of the texts were reflective of the truth.
uncertain
some → suggest → truth
“You were an extraordinary athlete, weren’t you?” Bashir asked.
asserted
Bashir → ask → ?
“Thank you,” M replied.
asserted
M → thank → you
“You were something special, weren’t you?” Bashir asked.
asserted
Bashir → ask → ?
“I believe I still am,” he said.
asserted
he → believe → ?
M has testified that the two unwanted kisses, one at an event in 2015 and one at Jones’s Macquarie Street apartment in 2020 were a shock and not consensual: “I did not want to be kissed by him in that way.”
asserted
I → testify → way
After the unwanted kiss near his lips at the event, the court heard Jones sent him a text that said: “You looked great.
asserted
You → hear → text
I love you.
asserted
I → love → you
I hope you can feel my kisses, darling”.
asserted
you → hope → kisses
M told the court on Tuesday he was seated in the harbourside apartment, and alone with Jones, when “the defendant was standing over the top of me beginning to kiss me.
asserted
defendant → tell → me
As it got closer to my lips I started to move into a standing position.”
asserted
I → get → position
“I felt there was something behind me when I tried to get away from the defendant that prevented me from doing so.”
asserted
that → feel → me
He has testified that he said “OK mate” in a defiant tone, which indicated “get away from me” and he left abruptly.
asserted
he → testify → me
M said his last communication with Jones was in 2022.
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communication → say → 2022
When the Sydney Morning Herald published an investigation about sexual allegations against Jones in 2023, he told three friends that “something similar has happened to me”, and later went to police to report the alleged incidents.
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something → publish → incidents
Under cross-examination by Bashir, M agreed he had been friends with Jones for 20 years and that the broadcaster had “been a vocal supporter” of his and had helped him through “personal crises”.
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broadcaster → agree → crises
“I had had a close relationship over a period of time,” he said.
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he → have → time
“It was both professional and there was a personal side.”
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It → be → ?
“He has helped me,” he agreed.
asserted
he → help → me
M agreed that he replied to some of Jones’s messages with “love, hugs and kisses”.
asserted
he → agree → love
Bashir asked the complainant dozens of questions and showed him multiple photographs of the event in order to challenge his memory of the evening.
asserted
Bashir → ask → evening
She suggested that her client “never kissed him” at the event.
uncertain
client → suggest → event
Bashir: “Alan Jones never kissed you at that [event], did he?”
asserted
he → kiss → event
M: “Alan Jones kissed me.”
asserted
Jones → kiss → me
Bashir: “Alan Jones has never kissed you at any [event], has he?”
asserted
he → kiss → event
The former athlete is the first complainant to choose to give evidence in a closed court and come face to face with Jones in the Downing Centre court room.
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athlete → choose → room
The media were given permission to cover the case from a separate location.
asserted
media → give → location
The trial before judge Glenn Walsh continues on Thursday when complainant M returns to finish his cross-examination.
asserted
M → continue → examination
The court does not sit on Wednesday.
asserted
court → sit → Wednesday
The Aporia
