Alan Jones’ legal team challenges police phone search in sexual assault case
The legal battle surrounding Alan Jones’ charges intensified after his lawyer raised serious concerns about the legality of a phone search conducted by NSW Police. The issue was brought before Sydney’s Central Local Court on Tuesday, where Jones’ defence team questioned whether due legal process had been followed prior to his arrest last November.
Jones, aged 84, faces 35 historical sexual assault charges, including 19 counts of aggravated indecent assault and 11 counts of acts of indecency. Some of the alleged offences date back over two decades. The youngest alleged victim was reportedly 17 at the time of the incident.
Lawyer raises issues over evidence and delayed brief
Jones’ lawyer, Bryan Wrench, told the court that they were “served with downloads of our client’s telephone devices”, expressing “grave concerns” about the methods police used. He also flagged legal and journalistic privilege issues related to the search.
Wrench argued that the brief of evidence appeared to have been delayed and claimed that some statements held by police since December and January were only recently shared. He called the situation “quite concerning”, suggesting the prosecution may be “selective” and not fully transparent. “They have to give us everything,” he insisted.
Jones pleads not guilty and reaffirms his denial of all charges
Jones has continued to deny all allegations. He is currently out on conditional bail with restrictions on travel and contact with complainants. He was excused from court on Tuesday but had previously entered not guilty pleas during a December appearance.
Outside court during that earlier hearing, Jones stated:
“I am certainly not guilty, and I’ll be presenting my account to the jury as you heard this morning. These allegations are all either baseless or they distort the truth.”
He added, “The law assumes I am not guilty, and I am not guilty… I am emphatic that I’ll be defending every charge before a jury in due course.”
The court granted an extension of the charge certificate until September 18, as legal arguments around evidence and procedure continue to develop.
