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.
The witness, who is appearing for a second day in what is the seventh week of a lengthy trial, agreed he had sent Jones friendly messages after the two alleged 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.
“I was being polite,” he said. “I made reference [yesterday] to the challenges of the relationship between myself and the defendant.”
“Someone that has a presence in the media, someone that has a reputation around what they do.
“Someone also who’s been generous to me at times in my life.
“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.”
The former athlete, who is known as complainant M, is the third of six complainants to give evidence.
Jones, 85, has been charged with 20 charges of indecent assault and two of sexual touching and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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.”
M has told the court the “incredibly overwhelmingly complimentary” texts made him feel uncomfortable.
Bashir suggested some of the texts were reflective of the truth.
“You were an extraordinary athlete, weren’t you?” Bashir asked.
“Thank you,” M replied.
“You were something special, weren’t you?” Bashir asked.
“I believe I still am,” he said.
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.”
After the unwanted kiss near his lips at the event the court heard Jones sent him a text that said: “You looked great. I love you. I hope you can feel my kisses, darling”.
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. As it got closer to my lips I started to move into a standing position.”
“I felt there was something behind me when I tried to get away from the the defendant that prevented me from doing so.”
He has testified that he said “Ok mate” in a defiant tome which indicated “get away from me” and he left abruptly.
M said his last communication with Jones was in 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.
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”.
“I had had a close relationship over a period of time,” he said. “It was both professional and there was a personal side.”
“He has helped me,” he agreed.
M agreed that he replied to come of Jones’s messages with “love, hugs and kisses”.
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. The media were given permission to cover the case from a separate location.
The trial before judge Glenn Walsh continues.
