Ray Hadley told an alleged victim of Alan Jones’s unwanted kissing and touching that the veteran broadcaster “needs to be destroyed”, a Sydney court has heard.
The former 2GB presenter was being cross-examined on Wednesday at the Downing Centre Local Court during Jones’s criminal trial, when prosecutors and defence lawyers examined a series of messages he sent to complainant “C”.
Hadley agreed he had sent the message in October 2019, at a time when his relationship with Jones was strained and he had been involved in an unsuccessful attempt to take over his rival’s breakfast radio programme.
In another exchange, sent before a 2023 Sydney Morning Herald report on the allegations, Hadley wrote that Jones would be “in the foetal position” when he read the story and described the publication as having been “50 years in the making”.
He also told “C” that he would “one by one” tear apart Jones’s supporters, including one person who had said he had never seen evidence of the alleged behaviour.
Asked whether that reference was to former 2GB presenter Jason Morrison, Hadley said he could not recall. He accepted that he had later described Morrison in a message as a “f***ing dog”.
Morrison has given evidence in the trial and denied seeing Jones touch “C” on the penis over his clothing during a lunch in Sydney almost two decades ago.
Hadley was also questioned about a message in which he appeared to use a homophobic slur against Jones. He told the court he did not usually use the word, but accepted that it appeared in the message.
Asked if he had harboured animosity towards Jones in 2019, Hadley replied: “I wasn’t happy with him” and conceded that the suggestion was probably correct. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-02/radio-host-ray-hadley-continues-evidence-at-alan-jones-trial/107104158))
Hadley’s messages about Alan Jones examined
The defence has argued that Hadley had a motive to damage Jones because of their bitter professional rivalry and his interest in securing the breakfast slot.
Hadley said he had signed a confidential agreement in December 2018 to take over the programme from July 2019, with his salary rising from about $2 million to $4 million. The arrangement collapsed after John Singleton reduced his stake in Macquarie Media and Jones re-signed for a further two years.
“The money made me do it,” Hadley told the court, denying that he had coveted the breakfast position. He said he had been prepared to work the midnight-to-dawn shift if the value of the agreement was honoured.
Hadley also alleged that a 2GB staff member told him Jones had “marshalled the troops” and ordered them to “dig up some dirt on Hadley”. He said the claim came after a colleague accused him of assault in a workplace corridor, an allegation he denied and which he said was contradicted by CCTV footage.
The defence has repeatedly suggested Hadley wanted to undermine Jones and encouraged “C” to pursue his allegations. Hadley rejected that characterisation and told the court he had come to give truthful evidence under oath.
The court has heard that “C” told Hadley in October 2019 that Jones had put his hand on his crotch and kissed him on several occasions. Hadley said the man became distressed when discussing the alleged incidents and told him he had hated what happened.
Jones, 85, denies that any of the alleged physical acts occurred. He has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching involving six male complainants over a period stretching from 2003 to 2020. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-02/radio-host-ray-hadley-continues-evidence-at-alan-jones-trial/107104158))
The court also heard that Hadley was subpoenaed to provide his messages with “C” but had not produced them. The complainant had supplied the material, which was then examined during cross-examination.
Hadley acknowledged that he had been in contact with journalist and author Peter FitzSimons in 2019, including during a phone call in which “C” spoke without revealing his identity. The allegations were not published at the time.
“C” later agreed to speak to Sydney Morning Herald investigative journalist Kate McClymont, whose report on the claims was published in December 2023. Hadley subsequently made a statement to police in June 2024. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-02/radio-host-ray-hadley-continues-evidence-at-alan-jones-trial/107104158))
Judge Glenn Walsh directed Hadley not to discuss his evidence while he remained under oath. The former broadcaster is due to return to the witness box on Thursday, September 3, when cross-examination is expected to continue. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-02/radio-host-ray-hadley-continues-evidence-at-alan-jones-trial/107104158))
