Alan Jones's lawyer says evidence 'blatantly contradictory' to indecent assault allegations
Mr Jones was arrested last year after a nine-month investigation by NSW Police's Child Abuse Squad, and is now facing dozens of historical indecent assault and sexual touching charges.
It's alleged these assaults took place between 2001 and 2019.
The case was briefly mentioned in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday morning, where it was adjourned for eight weeks.
In court, the 83-year-old's lawyer Bryan Wrench suggested prosecutors should use the adjournment to "decide whether to proceed" with the case.
"Witnesses said they have never seen Mr Jones engage in any sexually inappropriate behaviour at all," Mr Wrench told the court.
Mr Jones was not in attendance during the Tuesday hearing, having been excused from appearing last year.
He is facing charges including 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, 20 counts of assault with act of indecency, two counts of sexually touching another person without consent and two counts of common assault.
NSW Police claimed he knew some of the alleged victims personally and professionally, and the youngest complainant was aged 17 years old when the alleged offences occurred.
The most serious charge he faces is aggravated indecent assault, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment for each alleged offence.
In March, police laid an additional charge involving an 11th complainant.
After leaving his first court appearance in December, Mr Jones told the media he was not guilty and would be defending every charge against him.
"I will not be engaging in a running commentary in the media. But, I want you to understand this: 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 any of these allegations," Mr Jones said.
He is yet to formally enter a plea or be committed to trial.
The matter will return to court on July 8.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
27 minutes ago
- ABC News
Clive Palmer's Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel Group say data stolen in cyber attack
The personal details of Clive Palmer's employees and associates, including bank records, may have been compromised during a ransomware cyber-attack last month. The data breach encompassed Mr Palmer's political parties and 11 entities associated with the entrepreneur and politician including Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel Group. A statement posted to the Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel websites said the breach extended to Waratah Coal Pty Ltd, Central Queensland Coal, Gladstone Pacific Nickel Limited, Palmer Coolum Resort, Blue Star Line, Palmer Motorama, Ausface, Drewmaster Pty Ltd, and Zeph Group entities. "The data records potentially include all emails to and from the Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel Group entities including their attachments," the statement read. Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel said they had secured systems and reported breaches to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and the Australian Signals Directorate. Monash University cybersecurity expert Professor Nigel Phair said people associated with Mr Palmer's companies and political parties will not know if their data has been affected. "Once it's out there in the world the cyber criminals will use it for a variety of mechanisms," Dr Phair said. "We've really got no power in this, we can just be hyper-vigilant." It remains unclear whether any compromised data had been published by cyber criminals. Mineralogy and Queensland Nickel Group entities have been contacted for further comment. Dr Phair said unsophisticated cyber attacks on corporates had become too common. Dr Phair said Australia had enough legislation to hold corporates to account when data was not secured adequately. "We just need the legislation policed," he said. "The Australian Information Commissioner operates a notifiable data breach scheme, and they've got penalties including enforceable undertakings and in some cases fines of up to $50 million. "We haven't seen any fines handed out to organisations yet so it would be good to see a lot more of that happening." The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner said it was focused on ensuring all individuals were notified. An Australian Federal Police spokesperson said the AFP had not received a report of a crime in relation to the matter.
News.com.au
27 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Sweetest angel': Tragedy as beloved young mum and 2yo daughter killed in fiery car crash
A young mother and her toddler have been killed in a horror single-vehicle crash after their vehicle hit a tree and burst into flames in New South Wales, with bystanders claiming there was 'no possible way' to save them. Jendaya Stewart, 26, and her daughter Lillyannah, two, were travelling along Hat Head Road, in the tiny coastal town of Hat Head on the state's mid-north coast, about 9.40am on Thursday July 10 when their car smashed into the tree. Emergency services rushed to the scene and found the vehicle engulfed in flames. Fire and Rescue NSW crews extinguished the fire before police discovered the pair's bodies inside the vehicle. One local woman posted on social media that a friend was one of the first to see the crash and tried to save those inside. 'They tried to rescue them with a few others and sadly there was no way possible before the car went up,' she wrote. 'They are gutted.' Ms Stewart, affectionately known as 'Jen' or 'Jenny, was a proud Biripi and Thunggutti woman who had a passion for conservation and had worked with National Parks Conservation Association, The Green Army, and as an agricultural farm assistant at Orara High School over the years. The 26-year-old was remembered by her family as a 'loving mother' and 'beloved daughter', in a notice shared by Keith Logue & Sons funeral service on social media. 'Forever loved and deeply missed by all her family and friends,' the notice read. Her family said Lillyannah, nicknamed Lily, was 'beloved, adored and protected' by Ms Stewart, who welcomed her in September 2022. '(She was) nanny's sweetest angel and poppy's best mate,' the notice read. 'Loved to the moon and back by all her family. We will miss her sunshine and gorgeous smile in our lives'. Ms Stewart had shared a number of posts and photos of her daughter on social media 'Teaching my baby how to do the shuffle is so adorable,' she wrote in one post. Jo-Anne Dacker, Stewart's mother, told 7News her daughter had an 'immeasurable' love for Hat Head – the town where the crash occurred. 'She was so protective of the environment there,' she said. The small Hat Head community of 365 people expressed an outpouring of sympathy on social media following news of the crash. 'There has been an incredibly sad update on yesterday's crash on Hat Head Road,' an admin wrote on a community Facebook page earlier this month. 'The HHC Admin Team's deepest sympathies go to those in the car, and their friends and family. 'And to everyone in Hat Head and close by, we hope you all find the strength to get through this horrible event.' The federal MP for the region Pat Conaghan also shared the 'tragic news' on social media. 'My thoughts go to family and friends who are dealing with this unimaginable event,' the Nationals MP said at the time. 'To our community, a reminder to stay safe on our roads this holiday season, don't take risks, drive to the conditions and ensure your vehicle is maintained to safety standards. 'Any life lost on our roads is one life too many.' Ms Stewart and Lily will be farewelled in a funeral service at Coffs Harbour on August 2. Police are investigating the cause of the crash. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
NSW MP Gareth Ward likely to be removed from parliament after conviction for sex crimes
A sitting member of the NSW parliament has been convicted of serious sexual offences — so what happens next? The independent member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, was found guilty of four offences relating to the sexual abuse of two young men after a nine-week trial in the NSW District Court. Following the verdict, the NSW government swiftly called for the 44-year-old to resign from parliament — claiming his position was "no longer tenable". Even the Liberal Party — the previous party of Ward — said the politician had breached public trust and his crimes were an "abuse of power". The conviction of a sitting politician for serious crimes is a rare event. Ward was previously barred from parliament when the allegations first surfaced, but his shock re-election saw him return. Now that he has been found guilty by a jury, will he be removed from office? The NSW Constitution contains provisions for expelling sitting members convicted of an "infamous crime" — that is an offence that carries a maximum sentence of more than five years. All four of Gareth Ward's offences meet that criterion, with the most serious offence — sexual intercourse without consent — carrying a maximum prison term of 14 years. However, the politician's seat will not be vacated just yet. Ward has 28 days to lodge an appeal in the NSW District Court, and his seat in parliament will not be declared vacant until the challenge is resolved. However, these provisions do not interfere with the powers of the House to expel members. Election analyst Ben Raue is a close observer of Australian politics. He said the NSW parliament has powers to remove politicians. "I can't imagine they would have issues passing a motion of suspension, I think that would be the bare minimum to be honest," he said. Mr Raue said NSW parliament is in unchartered waters with this case. "It is very unusual," he said. After the verdict, Ward was granted bail release to return home ahead of a hearing on Wednesday where the Crown will seek to have the politician taken into custody ahead of his sentence. The verdict was handed down more than three years after Ward was first charged. The then-Liberal politician was stood down from his portfolio as the NSW Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services after it emerged that he was the subject of a police investigation. In 2022 he was suspended from parliament after he refused to resign over the allegations. "That is one of the things that is so odd about this case is normally when people are facing serious criminal charges like this, they resign from their public office," said Mr Raue. Despite the case hanging over his head and his inability to represent his community in the parliament — constituents in Kiama re-elected him in 2023, allowing him to return to parliament. "I think it is a sign of how popular he had been that he managed to get re-elected," said Mr Raue. "I think there was a recognition that the voters had their say and until he is convicted, he is a member of parliament." Mr Raue said the conviction means voters in Kiama are likely to be returning to the polls. "I think it is likely now we will see a by-election at some point — either he resigns, or he is expelled," he said.
