A mammoth sex abuse hearing against Alan Jones has been locked in despite claims the radio host was kept in the dark about the police investigation against him.
The 84-year-old faces 25 charges of indecent assault and two of sexual touching against nine alleged victims.
There were 139 prosecution witnesses in the case, crown prosecutor Emma Curran told Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
Efforts to reduce these numbers had stalled because Jones would not say which senior counsel he had briefed, she told Magistrate Glenn Walsh.
Defence solicitor Bryan Wrench said his client would also call his own witnesses, saying “we believe there is an iceberg of exculpatory material”.
Jones’ legal team has asked prosecutors to reconsider a decision made in September to hold the lengthy hearing in the Local Court instead of before a District Court jury.
The radio host, who denies the charges, was charged after an investigation by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Kate McClymont in 2023.
McClymont had declined to provide notes of her investigation or interviews with witnesses to Jones’ defence team, Mr Wrench said on Tuesday.
Journalists often speak with sources under strict confidence and are not automatically required to divulge information to defence lawyers.
Mr Wrench also said police had refused to confirm whether their investigation against the former radio host was complete.
Without these details, Jones did not know the case he was meant to answer and may not be ready for a hearing in the second half of 2026, Mr Wrench told the court.
“Whilst he’s been deprived of a jury trial, we don’t want to deprive Mr Jones of a fair hearing in this court.”
The magistrate tersely shut down the solicitor’s submissions, setting down dates for hearing.
The hearing will start on August 3 and could run until December.
The case will return to court on November 20 for further management.
Mr Wrench did not speak to reporters outside court.
Jones had faced allegations of historical sex offences against 11 individuals – the youngest of whom was then aged 17 – until prosecutors reconfigured their case in September.
Claims involving two alleged victims were dropped and accusations the conduct was aggravated or that Jones held power or authority over his alleged victims were withdrawn.
The former radio shock jock has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The remaining allegations against Jones suggest a pattern of indecent assaults between 2003 and 2020.
Jones’ sexual misconduct is alleged to have occurred behind closed doors as well as in public spaces such as restaurants, the Sydney Opera House and when two of the complainants were driving him around.
The 84-year-old was arrested in November 2024 after an eight-month police investigation.
The charges, which he has claimed are “all either baseless or they distort the truth”, followed a hugely influential broadcasting career launched in 1985.
Jones became a feared interviewer who excelled at questioning leaders while dividing audiences with his outspoken views.
He worked with Sydney radio station 2UE before joining rival 2GB, where he was a long-time ratings juggernaut until 2020.
Alongside a failed tilts at politics, he also coached the Australian national men’s rugby union team through some historic achievements between 1984 and 1988.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028