Jones, a former radio broadcaster, has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching
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The evidence of a star reporter whose investigation led to charges against Alan Jones was paused so the former 2GB broadcaster and horse racing enthusiast could watch the Melbourne Cup.
Jones’s defence barrister, Gabrielle Bashir SC, asked judge Glenn Walsh if the court could break just before 3pm to watch the race as Jones sat laughing loudly in the front row of the public gallery.
Walsh smiled as he said he knew there was “a particular race” the defendant would be interested in and agreed to break from 2.50pm until 3.10pm. The court commonly will adjourn mid-afternoon to give witnesses a short break.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont, was in the witness box all day answering questions about her years-long investigation of Jones which was published in 2023.
Under cross-examination by Bashir, McClymont agreed that she used the expression “go the grope” in her interview with complainant C, but said the alleged victim had repeated the phrase.
“You’re not looking for sexy phrases to put in a story, you’re having a conversation with someone,” she said.
McClymont told the court that readership and advertising metrics were of no relevance to her as a journalist. She had been asked if “special investigations under your name sell newspapers”.
Bashir took the witness to call logs and emails between her and her colleagues, including columnist Peter FitzSimons and reporter Jennifer Duke dating back to 2017.
After speaking to a man who made allegations about Jones, known as complainant C in the trial, McClymont wrote: “We have another one.”
In her opening statement Bashir said McClymont and FitzSimons were “looking for a story” and their reporting was fuelled by the hatred and jealousy of his 2GB radio rival Ray Hadley.
McClymont said FitzSimons had been working on a story about allegations against Jones since October 2017 and it was a “long-running matter”.
Earlier, McClymont said the three alleged victims of Jones that she interviewed received no benefit from her or the media company for telling their stories.
McClymont, whose articles led to other alleged victims coming forward, is giving evidence in the lengthy trial of the former broadcaster, who is facing 21 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching against five men.
Several men detailed claims of indecent assault against Jones in McClymont’s articles, including that he groped or inappropriately touched them without their consent.
Police say they formed Strike Force Bonnefin after McClymont’s reporting in the Herald and the Age resulted in alleged victims coming forward.
At the Downing Centre local court on Tuesday, Jones, 85, was supported by men’s rights activist Bettina Arndt and defamation lawyer Paul Svilans from Mark O’Brien Legal.
McClymont, who has won 10 Walkley awards for excellence in journalism, was supported by the editor of the SMH, Jordan Baker, and the deputy editor, Nick Ralston.
McClymont told the court she always sought comment from Jones and his legal team before publication via text and email. In her evidence she agreed with prosecutor Georgina Wright that she spoke to three alleged victims but kept their stories confidential from each other.
McClymont did not initially share her interview notes or recordings with police because they were confidential or not available but received a subpoena for the material in 2026, the court heard.
The strike force was formed after the December 2023 publication of McClymont’s years-long investigation of Jones.
His long radio career came to an abrupt end in 2020 after a series of on-air incidents led to the radio station losing advertisers and haemorrhaging revenue.
When Jones was arrested by New South Wales police after a “long, thorough, protracted” investigation at his city apartment in late 2024, he had been retired from his $4m-a-year breakfast radio show on 2GB for four years.
The hearing before Walsh continues.
