Ex-athlete tells court his relationship with Jones had a ‘secret part’

A former athlete who has alleged Alan Jones kissed him non-consensually has told a court that his relationship with the then-broadcaster had “a secret part I wasn’t disclosing to anyone”.

Complainant “M” returned to the witness box for a fourth day in Jones’ indecent assault and sexual touching trial at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney.

Alan Jones outside the Downing Centre Local Court on Friday.Jessica HromasHe has accused Jones of kissing him non-consensually on two occasions, including on the corner of his mouth at an event in Sydney about a decade ago.

“M” alleges the second kiss occurred years later when he visited the radio host’s Circular Quay apartment, and that Jones kissed him repeatedly on the cheek, moving towards his mouth, and pressed his genitals against the complainant’s leg.

Jones denies the alleged physical acts occurred. He has pleaded not guilty to two charges relating to “M” and 20 more alleged indecent assault and sexual touching offences relating to five other complainants.

During re-examination on Friday, prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, took “M” to his evidence given during cross-examination, in which he was asked about his continuing friendship with Jones following the alleged kiss at the function.

He had said: “Yes, the friendship had continued, or the relationship we had, however you define it, continued.”

Wright asked how he would define his relationship with Jones following the event. “M” said he struggled with the word “friendship”.

“Colleague is not the appropriate word; I don’t know how to define it,” he said, adding he was “managing” the relationship.

“We had a professional relationship. [There was] a private part to that relationship, but then for me there was this other part which was this secret part I wasn’t disclosing to anyone.”

During cross-examination, “M” said he remembered telling police in his statement that Jones kissed him on the first occasion on his “face, close to the corner of my mouth” as opposed to on his lips. He said that he believed he “pointed to where it was”.

On Friday, Wright asked if part of what he told police on one occasion was that Jones kissed him on the lips at the event.

Wright took him to the suggestion raised in cross-examination that he had never used the word “frozen” in his police statements about the alleged function kiss. He had told the court earlier this week that he believed he froze and then went back to his table.

Wright asked if part of what he told police was, “when Alan did this, I felt uncomfortable because of where he kissed me … And I did not want him to do that and it made me extraordinarily uncomfortable”. The man replied that he did.

Jones has pleaded not guilty to two charges relating to “M” and 20 more alleged indecent assault and sexual touching offences relating to five other complainants.Jessica HromasLater on Friday, a man who attended the event in Sydney where “M” alleges Jones kissed him non-consensually said he could not recall whether the complainant was at the event.

The Crown also tendered statements from two friends of “M”.

One friend said the complainant told her in 2023 that Jones had “hit on” him and “I literally had to push him off me”. She said he told her it happened “not that long ago”.

The second friend said “M” used to speak affectionately about Jones, but there was a “sharp shift” in later years. He said he noticed “a hostility” in the complainant “on the mention of Alan”, and the friend didn’t know why at the time.

At this point, “M” actively avoided speaking about Jones and his body language changed, the friend said. He said “M” had later told him Jones had “crossed a boundary” and the complainant used the words “OK, mate”.

“M” told the court that he said “OK, mate” and pushed Jones away when the then-broadcaster kissed him at his Circular Quay apartment.

Jones’ trial has now heard from three of the six complainants in the case. It will next hear from a series of witnesses relating to the allegations raised by “M”.

A fourth complainant, dubbed “H”, is also expected to give evidence next week.

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Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

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