Alan Jones’ lawyer slams police’s phone searches of former broadcaster

The lawyer for former broadcaster Alan Jones has told a court he holds grave concerns about how police searched his client’s phone over dozens of allegations of indecent assault and sexual touching against men spanning nearly two decades.

The 84-year-old was arrested at his lavish harbourside apartment in Circular Quay in November and has since pleaded not guilty to the raft of charges spanning 2001 to 2019 against 11 alleged victims – the youngest being 17.

Jones initially faced 26 charges, with eight more laid before his first court appearance in December and one more laid in March, bringing the total to 35.

The accusations include fondling penises, stroking thighs, squeezing bottoms, kissing “using his tongue”, pulling a man’s scrotum and masturbating during one alleged indecent assault, court documents earlier seen by this masthead outlined.

The alleged offending sites ranged from Jones’ former home in Newtown, his harbourside apartment, his farm at Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands, Tamworth in northern NSW, and other spots throughout Sydney.

Police earlier said Jones had a mix of personal and professional relationships with his alleged victims and some were allegedly abused the first time they met him.

His matter was briefly heard at Sydney’s Central Local Court on Tuesday, when his lawyer Bryan Wrench said that since the last court appearance, his team had been “served with downloads of our client’s telephone devices”.

Wrench said: “We then wrote to the police regarding our concerns about a search conducted on the 18th of November – the legality, journalistic privilege as well as issues regarding legal privilege.”

Wrench said police had “now engaged legal representatives to resolve that matter” and asked for an extension of charge certification, so the matter could be resolved as quickly as possible.

Wrench added his team had received a further brief of evidence on Tuesday which included “statements police have had in their possession since December and January”.

He said he raised concerns to police about their “duty of disclosure” but “they said they don’t have any”.

“We are quite concerned about that,” he said, adding NSW Police claimed to be working tirelessly, “but they seem to be a bit puffed out”.

Wrench asked for an extension of the charge certification process, which marks when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) gives the defence a charge certificate showing all the offences they intend to proceed with if the case goes to trial.

Magistrate Jennifer Giles granted that extension until September 18.

Jones, who remains on bail, was excused from appearing.

After his first court appearance in December, Jones stood outside court and told journalists he was “certainly not guilty” and would “be presenting my account to a jury”.

“These allegations are all either baseless, or they distort the truth, and you should know that prior to my arrest, I was given no opportunity by police to answer these allegations,” he told media at the time.

When his case was briefly heard in May, Wrench said the defence had received a number of statements within the brief of evidence that his team felt were “blatantly contradictory to some of the allegations” and it was a matter for the DPP “to consider whether this matter will be proceeding”.

“Some of the witnesses said they had never seen Mr Jones engage in any sexually inappropriate behaviour at all,” he said, and had earlier told the court his client “looks forward to clearing his name”.

Strike Force Bonnefin was established following a major investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age more than one year ago, which revealed allegations that Jones used his position of power to prey on a number of young men, indecently assaulting them, groping or inappropriately touching them without consent.

In May 2020, the former teacher and Wallabies coach announced his retirement from radio station 2GB.