Alan Jones trial: mother of youngest alleged victim says she was 'in a web of dependency'

The mother of the youngest alleged victim of Alan Jones told a Sydney court on Friday that she kept seeking the broadcaster's advice after her teenage son was allegedly indecently assaulted at Jones's Fitzroy Falls farm, saying she was "in a web of dependency" with him.

The woman, who is divorced, was giving evidence at the Downing Centre on her final day in the witness box. She told the court she had developed a pattern of not trusting herself, and that she continued writing to Jones because: "I knew he knew about everything; he had an opinion about everything."

She had earlier told the court she kept up the correspondence after Jones allegedly kissed the 17-year-old and put his tongue inside his mouth, because she feared he would withdraw his financial support.

Defence puts motive to witness

Defence barrister Claire O'Neill suggested during cross-examination that the mother stayed in touch with Jones not because she was frightened of his influence over her finances but because she wanted more money out of him.

"You did not continue to communicate with Mr Jones because you were scared of his influence over your finances, did you?" O'Neill asked.

The witness agreed she had written to Jones about her son's late university application, a superannuation payment, outstanding legal fees and getting her son a Sydney Cricket Ground membership. Shown an email in which she updated Jones on the university application, she was asked whether she had wanted to "lay the groundwork" for Jones to pay the legal bill. She described the suggestion as "absolute rubbish", saying she was "proud of him" for finishing year 12 under difficult circumstances and had wanted to convey that. She agreed she sent Jones information about the cost of repairs to her Land Rover but denied she was asking him to pay the bill.

O'Neill asked: "You have told lies in this court about why you continued to have contact with Jones?" The witness replied: "Absolutely disagree, that's rubbish." The barrister also put it to her: "You were taking advantage of Mr Jones's generosity for as long as you could?"

Asked why she had shared personal information with Jones about the deterioration of her relationship with her son, the mother became emotional. "My son, who was a child, suffered trauma and didn't share it with anyone and it had an effect on his relationship with me and a lot of other people," she said. Asked by prosecutor Georgina Wright what that trauma referred to, she answered: "I was referring to what happened to him at Fitzroy Falls".

Charges and other complainants

Her son, known in the proceedings as complainant A, is one of five men who allege Jones sexually touched or indecently assaulted them between 2003 and 2020. All five have now completed their evidence.

Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching.

Source: The Guardian World.