COURTROOM BOMBSHELL — A SHOCK NEW DETAIL HAS EMERGED IN THE ALAN JONES BLOCKBUSTER TRIAL
Alan Jones will face a marathon hearing in a Sydney court later this year, however he may have to attend every day, a court has been told.
Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones may not have to attend court every day of his upcoming blockbuster trial during which he will fight sexual touching and indecent assault allegations, a court has been told.
Mr Jones will front a Sydney court later this year for what’s expected to be a marathon hearing having pleaded not guilty to 24 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching.
Mr Jones’ trial is scheduled to begin on August 3 and is expected to run for several months.
In court on Friday afternoon, Judge Glenn Walsh asked Mr Jones’ defence whether it was suitable for the former 2GB talkback host to attend court every day of the hearing given his age.
Alan Jones has pleaded not guilty to 26 charges. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short
Mr Walsh noted that Mr Jones was 85 and questioned whether he had the capacity to attend court every day for four and a half months.
He raised the prospect of Mr Jones being required to attend court on some days, and being allowed to appear via videolink on others.
Judge Walsh noted that the trial would be held in a small courtroom in the John Maddison Tower of the Downing Centre Court complex.
He said that any decision on whether Mr Jones would be required to attend every day would depend on whether there were objections from prosecutors.
“I’ll leave that to you and it will be subject to the view of the DPP,” Judge Walsh told Mr Jones’ barrister Gabrielle Bashir.
Ms Bashir said that Mr Jones’ high-profile solicitor, Chris Murphy, may wish to address the court on the matter at a later date.
Alan Jones will front court later this year. Picture: NewsWire / Rocco Fazzari
Mr Jones will face a hearing later this year. Picture: NewsWire/Nikki Short.
Both sides waded through pre-trial issues in court on Friday when Judge Walsh handed down a series of decisions on whether some subpoenaed material would be handed over to the defence.
He allowed Mr Jones’ team access to some material.
Judge Walsh also ruled against Mr Jones on other subpoenas after his lawyers sought access to information about what police had accessed from his phone and who it had been disseminated to.
The matter will return to court on July 13.
The allegations relate to eight complainants after prosecutors earlier this month dropped one charge relating to one complainant.
According to court documents, the alleged offences occurred in Sydney, Fitzroy Falls, Kiama, Mittagong, and at Mr Jones’ work premises and home between 2009 and 2020.
Following his first court appearance in December 2024, Mr Jones issued a strong denial and said he would fight the charges.
“I have never indecently assaulted these people,” he said at the time.
“The law assumes I am not guilty, and I am not guilty.
“I am emphatic that I’ll be defending every charge before a jury in due course.”
SOURCE: https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/shock-new-detail-in-alan-jones-blockbuster-trial/news-story/b6f0b5a75a42b8cf1eed77b2a5983847
