Journalist and author Peter FitzSimons has appeared as a witness in the criminal trial of former Australian broadcaster Alan Jones, giving evidence about a 2019 conversation with a former staff member who later accused Jones of unwanted kissing and touching.
FitzSimons, a columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, was contacted by Ray Hadley, Jones’s former 2GB colleague and long-time radio rival. The complainant, known in court as “C”, spoke to FitzSimons by telephone but did not reveal his identity.
The court heard that FitzSimons was investigating allegations concerning Jones at the time. “C” did not agree to be named or to speak publicly, and FitzSimons did not publish an account of the allegations.
The evidence relates to accusations brought by “C”, a former Jones staffer who alleges that the broadcaster kissed him and touched him without consent. Jones denies that the alleged physical acts occurred.
FitzSimons’s evidence follows testimony from Hadley, who told the court that “C” had confided in him in 2019. Hadley later put the complainant in contact with FitzSimons after journalists began examining allegations about Jones.
“C” was subsequently interviewed by the Herald’s chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont. In 2023, McClymont reported allegations against Jones in anonymised form, without identifying the complainant.
Alan Jones trial continues in Sydney
New South Wales Police established Strike Force Bonnefin after the Herald’s reporting. Jones was arrested in November 2024 and is facing 22 charges involving six male complainants.
The charges comprise 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent. The alleged offending is said to have occurred over a 17-year period between 2003 and 2020.
Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty. The trial is being heard at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, with the allegations yet to be tested fully before the court.
McClymont is expected to give evidence at a later stage of the proceedings.
