A prominent athlete froze and was “shocked and embarrassed” when Alan Jones kissed him on the side of his mouth at a public event, the broadcaster’s trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre has heard.
The witness said the kiss on the corner of his lips happened years after Jones sent him a weekly bouquet of flowers after he had complimented the flowers on Jones’s dining table. He said Jones’s driver would drop the flowers at his home every week.
The court is hearing the first day of evidence from the third alleged victim of Jones, known as complainant M, whose case involves two of the ۲۲ charges of indecent assault and sexual touching against Jones.
Jones has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The athlete said Jones kissed him on the corner of his mouth as he walked across a large event room to get back to his table.
He didn’t say anything at the time, he said. “I was shocked and embarrassed and I knew I did not want to be there,” he said.
“I’m not certain, but I think I froze at that time,” he said. “I was in disbelief of where this was happening, and I didn’t understand why it was happening, and there’s no reason to suggest why in this public situation you’d kiss someone this way.”
After the dinner, Jones texted M saying something like “I would like to be kissing you all night”, the witness said.
Asked by prosecutor Georgina Wright SC if he consented to being kissed this way, he answered no.
The athlete testified that he was interviewed by the ۲GB broadcaster on multiple occasions as a teenage athlete, later developing a friendship which included visiting his apartment at Macquarie Street in Circular Quay for meals.
He said Jones was always introduced him in an “incredibly overwhelmingly complimentary” and “flattering way”, which made me him feel “awkward and uncomfortable in how glowing it was”.
He said Jones would welcome him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and use flattering terms like “champion” and “beautiful man”.
The court heard Jones texted the alleged victim with words to the effect: “If someone hasn’t told you, let me be the person who tells you that you’re special.”
The witness said it was flattering at first but then it “got uncomfortable” because not even his parents talked to him that way.
The first time he had a meal at the apartment he complimented the tableware and he later received a set of the same tableware from the broadcaster.
The witness said on one visit to Jones’s Fitzroy Falls farm with his room mate, he broke down and cried when telling Jones about his financial difficulties.
The broadcaster offered to help and organised a meeting at Jones’s apartment – known as the Toaster – between the bank, his agent and his accountant.
The trial continues.
