Judge allows changes to dates of alleged Alan Jones assaults

In the ongoing criminal trial of radio broadcaster Alan Jones, the judge has ruled to adjust the date range of alleged indecent assault offences. This comes after conflicting witness testimonies during the trial, which marked the first appearance of six complainants. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of assault with act of indecency and two counts of sexual touching, all linked to alleged victims between 2003 and 2020.

The 85-year-old was initially accused by Complainant J of kissing him and touching him during a trip to Fitzroy Falls in 2004. However, prosecutors have successfully argued to expand the possible dates of these alleged offenses to any time between 2004 and April 2006. This adjustment means Complainant J could have been between 18 and 21 years old at the time of the incident.

Jones' attorney, Gabrielle Bashir SC, expressed surprise at the Crown's late revelation of inconsistencies in its witnesses' evidence. She argued that the case was based on the offenses allegedly occurring in 2004. However, Judge Glenn Walsh dismissed concerns about the time of the alleged incidents, stating that they do not matter in this trial.

He emphasized that the defendant's case is that the alleged events never took place, and the court deemed the change in date range as fair given the common occurrence of discrepancies in witness accounts.