Alan Jones trial live updates: Hadley questioned over ‘secret contract’ to take over Jones’ 2GB breakfast radio slot as cross-examination continues

Key PostsRay Hadley returns to the witness boxBy Michaela WhitbournWarning: Graphic contentHello and thank you for reading our live coverage of Alan Jones’ criminal trial in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. I will be bringing you the latest developments today with my colleagues Clare Sibthorpe and Harriet Alexander.Former 2GB heavyweight Ray Hadley, a long-time colleague of Jones, started giving evidence in the trial on Tuesday. He returns to the witness box today.Ray Hadley outside the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.Dominic LorrimerJones, 85, is standing trial on 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent spanning six complainants and a 17-year period from 2003 to 2020. He denies the allegations.Hadley’s evidence relates to a conversation he had with one of the complainants, a man known as “C”, in 2019. Here are the key parts of his testimony so far.Hadley said complainant “C” told him in 2019 that Jones had “put his hand on my c--- and kissed me” on a number of occasions some years earlier.“I asked him if he was homosexual, and whether he was consenting to it,” Hadley said. “He broke down and cried and said, ‘no, I hated it. I’m not homosexual’.”Hadley said he comforted “C” during the conversation and told him it was not his fault. He offered to take the complainant to the police, he said, but “C” had insisted he did not want to do this because Jones was “too powerful”.Hadley told the court that author and journalist Peter FitzSimons, a journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald, had been investigating allegations against Jones and that he facilitated a phone call between “C” and FitzSimons in 2019.At this stage the complainant’s identity was kept secret from FitzSimons and the allegations were not reported, the court has heard.In 2023 the Herald’s chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont spoke to “C”, the court heard, and his allegations were published in an anonymised form. Hadley agreed he discussed the article on air.Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.Latest Posts11.11am‘I didn’t pursue it, they came to me’By Clare SibthorpeBashir pressed Hadley on his reasoning for signing the contract for Jones’ breakfast slot, suggesting it was not just about the money.Hadley assured her that after getting up at 3.30am for many years, the prospect of getting up at 1.30am was not very attractive, but the money was.He said John Singleton, then a major shareholder of the company that owned 2GB, told him he’d had enough of Jones and his defamation cases and offered him the job.“I didn’t pursue it, they came to me,” he said.Asked if it was a secret contract, Hadley said, “it was indeed”.11.10amHadley’s ‘secret contract’By Clare SibthorpeBashir and Hadley have had a tense exchange about Hadley’s ambitions to take over Jones’ 2GB breakfast slot in 2019.Hadley said he signed a “secret contract” in December 2018 that would mean he would take over the breakfast slot from July 1, 2019. He said 2GB doubled his salary.He rejected a suggestion by Bashir that he saw the breakfast slot as the pinnacle of radio positions, saying his increase in value from $2 million to $4 million was the pinnacle.“The money made me do it,” he said.10.57amEvidence resumesBy Harriet AlexanderHadley has returned to the witness box after a legal argument that began when the Crown objected to a question by Alan Jones’ barrister.Gabrielle Bashir, SC, is now questioning Hadley about his knowledge of the complainant’s career after he stopped working as a staffer to Alan Jones.10.45amFresh legal argumentBy Clare SibthorpeLess than five minutes into the defence’s cross-examination of Ray Hadley, the former 2GB heavyweight has been asked to leave the courtroom.As has become routine over the past month in courtroom 3.1, Judge Glenn Walsh has paused witness testimony amid legal argument between the parties.We’ll let you know when the issues are resolved and Hadley is back in the box.10.44amHadley and complainant “C”By Clare SibthorpeBeginning her cross-examination, defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir, SC, has asked Ray Hadley about his relationship with complainant “C”.Hadley agreed that he maintained a close relationship with “C” over several decades.10.42amCross-examination beginsBy Harriet AlexanderRay Hadley has started and finished his evidence-in-chief after some early legal argument.He gave two bows to Judge Glenn Walsh as he entered, and the judge said he had no doubt that Hadley would keep his voice up after his clear enunciation the day before. Hadley gave a brief nod.After brief questions from prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, complainant “C” is now being cross-examined by Jones’s barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC.10.33amHadley’s police statementBy Michaela WhitbournProsecutor Georgina Wright, SC, is taking Hadley to his statement to police dated June 25, 2024.She asks him to read to himself a small part of the statement before turning the document over so that he can’t read it further.He agrees that it has helped refresh his memory about what “C” told him about Jones allegedly kissing him in the lift.“I recall there were two lifts mentioned, and a home mentioned,” Hadley said.10.25amHadley’s evidence resumesBy Michaela WhitbournRay Hadley’s evidence was temporarily delayed on Tuesday afternoon after a legal issue arose.Judge Glenn Walsh delivered a short decision on Wednesday morning before Hadley was asked to return to the witness box.Ray Hadley outside the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.Dominic LorrimerAlan Jones arrives at court for the second day of Ray Hadley’s evidence.Dominic Lorrimer10.12amOld rivalry laid bareBy Harriet AlexanderFor most of the 35 years that radio titans Alan Jones and Ray Hadley were stablemates and professional rivals at 2UE and 2GB, Jones had the upper hand. He had the prestige breakfast slot and the ratings to match, while Hadley, who in any other world would have been undisputed king, barked at his debonair behind.Ray Hadley and Alan Jones.Dominic LorrimerAs Hadley took his seat in the witness stand to provide evidence against Jones on Tuesday afternoon, in what must surely have been the most galling development in their relationship, Jones continued to turn the other cheek.Read more from Harriet Alexander here.10.06amRay Hadley and Jason MorrisonBy Michaela WhitbournFormer 2GB host Jason Morrison, who is now The Daily Telegraph’s chief of staff, spent a week in the witness box and only concluded his evidence on Monday morning.He was asked about comments Ray Hadley made about him on air, as well as about the lunch in Sydney where “C” alleges Alan Jones touched him under the table.Jason Morrison outside the Downing Centre Local Court on Friday.Sam MooyMorrison told the court in unequivocal terms that he did not witness the alleged touching. However, he recalled that there were jokes at the lunch about “C” and Jones looking like “a great couple”.He said the joke was because Jones put his arm around the shoulders of “C” at one point during the lunch. Morrison insisted that if he had seen Jones touch “C” under the table he would have raised the incident.1 of 2