Alan Jones trial live updates: Ray Hadley to return for further cross-examination as indecent assault, sexual touching trial continues

Key PostsRay Hadley’s evidence continuesBy Michaela WhitbournWarning: Graphic contentHello and welcome to our live coverage of Alan Jones’ criminal trial in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. I will be keeping you informed of the latest developments with my colleagues Clare Sibthorpe and Harriet Alexander.Jones, 85, is standing trial on 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent spanning six male complainants and a 17-year period from 2003 to 2020. The former 2GB broadcaster denies any of the alleged physical acts occurred.Ray Hadley and Alan Jones outside the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.Dominic LorrimerJones’ long-time colleague at 2GB, Ray Hadley, returns to the witness box today for further cross-examination by Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC.Hadley has given evidence that complainant “C”, one of the six men who has accused Jones of unwanted touching and kissing, confided in him in late 2019 about the alleged indecent assaults. Bashir has foreshadowed she will argu Hadley encouraged “C” to make the allegations because he coveted Jones’ breakfast radio slot. Hadley has described that argument as “completely wrong and misinformed”.During cross-examination on Wednesday, Hadley was shown a series of explosive text messages he sent “C” about Jones, including one in December 2023 before this masthead published an article by chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont revealing the complainant’s allegations against Jones. “That c--- will be in the foetal position when he reads the story in the morning,” Hadley wrote. “It’s been 50 years in the making.” In another message to “C” that month, Hadley said: “The low c--- ...[he’s] not just taking on victims, he’s taking on me and Kate. I won’t rest until we bury him, figuratively speaking or literally.” Asked if the “we” was him and the complainant, Hadley said: “I think it was probably me and Kate McClymont”.Hadley also texted “C” about Jones in 2019: “This bloke needs to be destroyed.” Hadley revealed during his cross-examination that he signed a “secret contract” in late 2018 to take over Jones’ breakfast radio slot at 2GB from July 2019. He denied he coveted the slot and said the lure was financial.The deal fell over, but he insisted 2GB honour the agreement to double his salary to $4 million.He denied it was a difficult time for him when Jones re-signed his contract for two years in May 2019, saying: “Inadvertently Mr Jones had doubled my salary for doing the same job.”Hadley told the court that a 2GB employee told him in about 2019 that Alan Jones had “marshalled the troops and said, ‘dig up some dirt on Hadley’.”In an unusual development, Hadley admitted he winked at a person in the public gallery during his evidence. He told the court he had mistakenly believed it was a reporter at the Herald he didn’t know who had “called me … I think ‘scruffy’” in a news article. This masthead did not use that word in its reporting but had referred to Hadley speaking “gruffly”.Judge Glenn Walsh ordered an investigation by the sheriff into any phone contact between Hadley and any journalist yesterday about his evidence. No Herald journalist covering the trial has had contact with Hadley.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 Posts10.17amHadley’s contact with FitzSimonsBy Michaela WhitbournRay Hadley is being asked about his contact with Peter FitzSimons after he facilitated a phone call between “C” and the Herald columnist in October 2019.Hadley agrees that in addition to the call with “C”, where he was present in the room with the complainant, he spoke to FitzSimons on October 16 and 17.Ray Hadley arrives at the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.Oscar Colman“I think he was pressing me on the identity of ‘C’ at the time. I wouldn’t tell them [the Herald],” Hadley said.He agreed he would have had further discussions with the complainant at this time, adding that “C” was “in a fragile state”.Asked if he had at least seven phone calls with “C” after the FitzSimons call, Hadley said it wouldn’t have been unusual.10.02amHadley returns to the witness boxBy Michaela WhitbournCourt has resumed and Ray Hadley has been called to return to the witness box.9.59amComplainant ‘C’ and HadleyBy Michaela WhitbournRay Hadley is giving evidence in the trial because he says complainant “C”, one of six men who have accused Alan Jones of unwanted kissing and touching, confided in him about the alleged indecent assaults in 2019. The complainant alleges the assaults took place over a five-month period almost 20 years ago. Jones denies any of the alleged physical acts took place.Hadley has agreed he put “C” in contact with author and journalist Peter FitzSimons, a columnist at The Sydney Morning Herald. But the court has heard the complainant’s identity was not revealed to FitzSimons at the time in 2019 and his allegations were not reported.Hadley said he did not become aware until after the fact that “C” had spoken to the Herald’s chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont. The complainant’s allegations were reported in an article by this masthead in late 2023.9.58amHadley’s email about the opening addressBy Michaela WhitbournDuring his cross-examination on Wednesday, Ray Hadley was taken to an email this year in which he spoke about the opening address in the trial by Alan Jones’ defence barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC.“If she is allowed to argue I was prompted by jealousy and coveting Mr Jones’ breakfast program, it could impact on the case,” Hadley wrote.Ray Hadley is a witness in Alan Jones’ criminal trial.Oscar ColmanHadley agreed he wrote that because he had been following media reports about the opening address, but he rejected a suggestion by Bashir that he had a vested interest in the outcome of the case.The former broadcaster told Bashir he was “worried because you were completely wrong and misinformed about my motives”. It was “incorrect” to say he coveted Jones’ breakfast program, he said.Ray Hadley’s evidence continuesBy Michaela WhitbournWarning: Graphic contentHello and welcome to our live coverage of Alan Jones’ criminal trial in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney. I will be keeping you informed of the latest developments with my colleagues Clare Sibthorpe and Harriet Alexander.Jones, 85, is standing trial on 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent spanning six male complainants and a 17-year period from 2003 to 2020. The former 2GB broadcaster denies any of the alleged physical acts occurred.Ray Hadley and Alan Jones outside the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.Dominic Lorrimer1 of 1