Latest news with #BryanWrench
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Daily Mail
New development in Alan Jones sex abuse case as lawyer reveals talkback radio host has 'grave concerns' about police act during his arrest
Alan Jones has 'grave concerns' about the legality of a police raid when the ex-talkback radio star was arrested for multiple counts of historical sexual abuse, his lawyer says. The one-time shock jock and king of breakfast radio is accused of sexually touching 11 alleged victims, the youngest of whom was aged 17 at the time of the alleged act of indecency. The 84-year-old has indicated he will plead not guilty to 35 historical offences, which police claim spanned nearly two decades, during a time when he dominated the Sydney airwaves. Jones' lawyer Bryan Wrench says there are 'grave concerns' about the search conducted during the November arrest. 'We wrote to police regarding our concerns about the search,' he told Sydney's Central Local Court on Tuesday. '(Including) the legality, journalistic privilege and issues regarding legal privilege.' Jones didn't attend court on Tuesday and wasn't required to appear. NSW Police have since engaged legal representation and Mr Wrench hoped the issues would be resolved 'as expeditiously as possible'. Mr Wrench and his client were also very concerned to receive a brief of evidence on Tuesday morning, containing witness statements apparently held by police since December, the court was told. The statements had not been previously flagged or disclosed, but police allegedly responded that they did not have a duty of disclosure, Mr Wrench added. Police had assured Jones' lawyers they were working tirelessly on the case. 'They seem to be a bit puffed out,' Mr Wrench said. 'Hopefully they will produce everything, not just what they think they need to prove this case against my client.' A download of data on Jones' phone has been served on his lawyers and will form part of the case against him, the court was told. Jones did not appear in court on Tuesday and the matter was adjourned until September 18. He is accused of fondling one of his alleged victims and kissing them on the lips, according to one of the claims made in a raft of allegations. He is also accused of touching another on the bottom. Jones' arrest in November came after an eight-month police investigation into a number of alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents between 2001 and 2019. The veteran broadcaster vowed to fight the charges after his first court appearance in December. 'These allegations are all either baseless or they distort the truth,' Jones told reporters. 'I have never indecently assaulted these people.' Jones has been charged with 33 counts of sexual touching without consent and indecent assault, including 11 aggravated charges because the alleged victim was under his authority. The former high school teacher is also facing two charges of common assault. The charges followed a hugely influential broadcasting career launched in 1985. Jones became a feared interviewer who excelled at questioning leaders while dividing audiences with his outspoken views. He worked with Sydney radio station 2UE before joining rival 2GB, where he was a long-time ratings juggernaut until 2020. Alongside failed tilts at politics, he also coached the Australian national men's rugby union team through some historical achievements between 1984 and 1988.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- The Guardian
Alan Jones's lawyers have ‘grave concerns' about legality of police phone search, court hears
Alan Jones's lawyers have 'grave concerns' about the legality of a search of the former broadcaster's phone conducted by police on 18 November before he was charged with 35 historical sexual assault offences. Jones is on bail and was excused from Tuesday's hearing at Sydney central local court but his lawyer, Bryan Wrench, complained about the police download of Jones's phone. 'We then wrote to the police regarding our concerns about a search conducted on the 18th of November,' Wrench told the court. 'The legality, journalistic privilege, as well as issues regarding legal privilege.' As a result of this legal complaint to the New South Wales police, the force had engaged lawyers, Wrench said. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The 84-year-old has allegedly committed a range of offences in various places in NSW, including Newtown, Sydney city, Fitzroy Falls, Alexandria and Tamworth. Jones is a former 2GB and Sky News Australia broadcaster. In a brief hearing before magistrate Jennifer Giles, Wrench said he also had an issue with an apparent delay in providing the defence with the entire brief of evidence, and accused the prosecution of not meeting its duties of disclosure. Since the last hearing in May, the defence had received more witness statements, which Wrench said he was was 'quite concerned about' because the prosecution had had them since November and December, but only just provided them. This is not 'a selective prosecution' and 'they have to give us everything', Wrench said. Wrench asked on Tuesday for an extension of the charge certification process, which was granted and will now be heard on 18 September. The prosecutor will review the evidence and confirm the charges by that date. In total, Jones is facing 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. Police set up Strike Force Bonnefin in March 2024 to investigate alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents allegedly involving Jones, after they were raised by the Sydney Morning Herald's investigative reporter Kate McClymont. Jones has denied all wrongdoing and said he was planning legal action against Nine newspapers for the 'demonstrably false' allegations. He last appeared in court in December, when it was confirmed he will face a jury trial on the charges. 'I am certainly not guilty, and I'll be presenting my case to a jury, as you heard this morning,' he said. '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.'
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- News.com.au
Concerns around legality of police search of Alan Jones' house, court told in historical sexual abuse case
Lawyers for embattled former radio giant Alan Jones say they hold 'grave concerns' about a police search conducted at the 83-year-old's Circular Quay home in November, with police engaging lawyers to respond to the claim, a court has been told. The former 2GB radio host and Wallabies coach was not required to appear before the Sydney Central Local Court on Tuesday, after he was arrested in November 2024 and charged with 35 separate charges relating to allegations he indecently assaulted, groped or inappropriately touched multiple young men. The 83-year-old has denied the allegations, and earlier indicated he intends to plead not guilty to the charges. Before Magistrate Jennifer Giles on Tuesday, Mr Jones's solicitor Bryan Wrench said since the last court mention the legal team had been served 'a download of our client's phone devices', and were concerned about police processes. 'We then wrote to the police regarding our concerns regarding the search that was conducted on the 18th of November as to the legality,' he said. 'Police have now engaged in legal representation … and the two parties are trying to resolve the matter.' Mr Wrench said Mr Jones and his legal team had 'grave concerns' about the search that occurred on November 18, the court was told. 'We've also received a further brief of evidence today … including statements that police had in their possession since December and January,' he said. Mr Wrench told the court he asked police about their duty of disclosure, to which he said they replied they 'didn't have any'. 'We are quite concerned about that,' he said. Mr Wrench told the court that NSW Police said on 18 November they had been 'working tirelessly', but the lawyer now notes they 'seem to be puffed out'. Both the DPP and Jones were seeking an adjournment for the charge certification, which was granted. The matter will return to court on September 18. Police revealed in March that they had since charged Mr Jones with an additional count of assault with act of indecency, bringing the number of alleged victims to 11. The initial charges include an aggravated indecent act and sexually touching a person without consent, and are alleged to have occurred between 2001 and 2019. Police alleged the acts occurred at a range of locations, including Mr Jones's former home in Newtown, his luxury Circular Quay apartment, and a property at Fitzroy Falls. Mr Jones was arrested at his harbourside apartment on November 18, following a NSW police investigation. Among the charges are 20 counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, two counts of common assault and two counts of sexual touching. His bail is to continue.
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- The Guardian
Some witness statements ‘blatantly contradictory' to Alan Jones sexual assault allegations, court hears
Some witnesses have told police that Alan Jones did not engage in 'any sexual or inappropriate behaviour', the former broadcaster's lawyer has told Sydney's Downing Centre local court. Jones was excused from Tuesday's committal hearing but his lawyer Bryan Wrench asked for an extension to allow the department of public prosecutions (DPP) to consider whether they want to go ahead with all the charges. The 84-year-old has been charged with 35 historical sexual assault offences allegedly committed in various places in New South Wales, including Newtown, Sydney city, Fitzroy Falls, Alexandria and Tamworth. Jones is a former 2GB and Sky News Australia broadcaster. Wrench said he received the brief of evidence from the DPP on Monday and some of the witness statements are 'blatantly contradictory to some of the allegations'. 'Some of the witnesses said they had never seen Mr Jones engage in any sexually inappropriate behaviour at all,' he said. The DPP should consider 'whether this matter will be proceeding' Wrench said in a brief hearing before magistrate Daniel Covington. Covington asked how many complainants were involved in R v Alan Belford Jones and the DPP said there were 11. The ages of the victims are not disclosed in the charge sheets but police have said previously the youngest was 17 at the time of the alleged offence. According to a court document made available to media in March, Jones allegedly assaulted his 11th victim by grabbing and squeezing his bottom in Tamworth in June 2013. Wrench was granted an eight-week extension in agreement with the DPP. He was arrested at his unit in Sydney's Circular Quay on 18 November last year after a 'long, thorough, protracted' investigation. Jones appeared for the first time at the Downing Centre local court in December 2024, where it was confirmed he would face a jury trial and his lawyer said he would plead not guilty to the 34, now 35, charges. Police set up Strike Force Bonnefin in March 2024 to investigate alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents allegedly involving Jones, after they were raised by the Sydney Morning Herald's investigative reporter Kate McClymont. Jones has denied all wrongdoing and said he was planning legal action against Nine newspapers for the 'demonstrably false' allegations. According to the charge sheets seen by Guardian Australia, there were 11 alleged offences against one man, Complainant C, between 2008 and 2009, including touching his inner thigh, rubbing his penis and kissing him on the mouth. Police allege Jones kissed another man 'using his tongue' at Fitzroy Falls in 2017, resulting in a charge of assault with an act of indecency. In 2001, the broadcaster is alleged to have touched and fondled the penis of another man and on a separate occasion 'kissed him on the lips'. Police allege in another case Jones stroked a man's right thigh, touched his bottom and 'touched his penis pulling his scrotum'. In 2012 he is alleged to have 'touched and squeezed' the bottom of a man. The matter has been held over until 8 July 2025.
ABC News
13-05-2025
- ABC News
Alan Jones's lawyer says evidence 'blatantly contradictory' to indecent assault allegations
Alan Jones's lawyer has told a court the brief of evidence against the former broadcaster contains witness statements that are "blatantly contradictory" to the allegations against him. 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.
