Witness says he obeyed alleged robe demand to avoid disappointing Alan Jones

On the fifth day of the Sydney Local Court trial of broadcaster Alan Jones, the complainant, now in his 40s, testified that he complied with an alleged directive to shower and appear only in a robe during a 2004 visit to Jones' Fitzroy Falls property, fearing disappointment. He added that he wore underwear as a safeguard before rejoining Jones on the lounge. Barrister Gabrielle Bashir probed the credibility of his narrative, asking why he did not stop the alleged conduct or alert staff present at the farm, and suggesting his story may have been influenced by media coverage.

The witness also recounted a bedroom encounter where Jones allegedly hugged, kissed, and allowed genital contact as their robes shifted, yet he said he did not push Jones away because he was terrified. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of assault with indecency and two counts of sexual touching involving six alleged victims between 2003 and 2020. The cross-examination focused on inconsistencies between the complainant’s police statements and his courtroom testimony, while the complainant admitted his memory of events over two decades later was imperfect.