Alan Jones Trial: What the Fourth Witness Told the Court
A fourth man gave evidence against former Australian radio host Alan Jones at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. The witness, described as an executive, chose to face Jones in person. Jones denies one count of sexual touching without consent against him. He has pleaded not guilty to 19 charges of indecent assault and two charges of sexual touching without consent against five men, according to the most recent account of the proceedings The Guardian.
The executive said he met Jones once at an event in Sydney several years ago. He alleged Jones touched his back, moved his hand down his spine and rested it on his bottom. Jones denies the allegation. The witness said he told his boss about the alleged incident that night and confided in a colleague in the following days. He said he felt ‘disgusting and powerless’ about the alleged touch SMH. He said a 2023 Sydney Morning Herald article about allegations against Jones led him to contact its author, Kate McClymont. McClymont is scheduled to give evidence later in the trial.
The allegations against Jones date from 2003 to 2020, covering his 35-year broadcasting career. A charge of indecent assault against a 17-year-old boy was withdrawn and dismissed at the prosecution’s request on Monday, 21 September 2026. The proceeding is a judge-only trial at the Downing Centre, which means a judge decides the outcome without a jury. At its opening, more than 70 witnesses were expected to give evidence ABC. Jones initially faced 22 charges involving six male complainants, comprising 20 counts of assault with act of indecency and two counts of sexual touching.
The court has already heard about the other complainants. Complainant C, the second complainant to give evidence, alleged Jones touched his crotch while driving and kissed him. Eight charges of indecent assault are connected to Complainant C. Broadcaster Ray Hadley told the court that complainant ‘broke down and sobbed’ when detailing alleged assaults. A prominent athlete known as Complainant M accuses Jones of one count of indecent assault and one count of sexual touching. A former teen athlete identified as complainant “J” accused Jones of indecent assault after a judge lifted a suppression order, a court order that limits what can be reported, allowing cross-examination of “J” to be reported. An ex-athlete complainant told the court his relationship with Jones had a ‘secret part’ and alleged Jones kissed him non-consensually when he visited the broadcaster’s harbourside apartment. Another alleged victim told the court he was ‘groomed for 10 years’, and told his brother the alleged assaults involving Jones grabbing his penis were “not too bad”. Jones’s defence has described the indecent assault allegations as a ‘concoction’. His lawyer has argued some witness statements are “blatantly contradictory” to the allegations.
The broader context here is credibility and corroboration. The executive’s case rests on a single alleged touch at a public event, with no claim of a continuing relationship. For the court, the sequence he described will be tested. He reported it to a supervisor that night, repeated it to a colleague days later, then contacted a journalist years later after published reporting. In judge-only proceedings of this type, findings often turn less on manner in court than on consistency across those prior statements and independence from media coverage. What comes next is further cross-examination and the remaining complainant evidence before the judge assesses the charges collectively.
