- Court told witnesses can clear Alan Jones of serious sex abuse allegations
- READ MORE: Alan Jones to face four-and-a-half-month-long court hearing
Controversial radio host Alan Jones has presented multiple witnesses who claim they never saw the ex-juggernaut broadcaster commit any alleged sexual abuse.
Jones, 84, fronted Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Friday after pleading not guilty to 25 charges of indecent assault and two charges of sexual touching.
Police have accused Jones of offending against nine alleged victims over 17 years while he dominated Sydney's airwaves.
Jones is set to contest the charges at an estimated months-long hearing commencing in August.
However, Jones' lawyer Bryan Wrench on Friday told the court 'a lot of the evidence appears to clear his client's name'.
'We received 800 pages of material we believe is exculpatory of Mr Jones,' Mr Wrench told the court.
'That includes eight witnesses who say they didn't see any of the alleged misconduct.'
The prosecution previously indicated it would call up to 139 witnesses over the course of the anticipated marathon hearing which could run for up to four months.
Controversial radio host Alan Jones has presented multiple witnesses who claim they never saw the ex-juggernaut broadcaster commit any alleged sexual abuse
Jones' lawyer Bryan Wrench (above) on Friday told the court 'a lot of the evidence appears to clear his client's name'
Jones' defence submissions came after the legal team issued nearly two dozen subpoenas as part of their own investigation.
The defence probe occurred after it was informed by the prosecution that 'all relevant evidence had been passed on'.
'The cupboard was bare,' Mr Wrench told the court before evading the media pack while leaving the courthouse.
The crown prosecutor previously pointed to issues of legal and journalistic privilege as a cause for the delayed production of evidence, including analysis reports on Jones' phone.
Negotiations over privileged material are still ongoing and now include sensitive information about the complainants, the court was told.
The matter will return to court on March 5.
Jones was arrested in November 2024 after an eight-month police investigation into historical sexual abuse allegations.
He is accused of sexual misconduct against nine complainants between 2003 and 2020, both behind closed doors and in public places including restaurants, events and the Sydney Opera House.
Jones was a top-rating Sydney radio host
Two of the alleged victims were acting as chauffeurs for the former teacher when he indecently assaulted them, according to prosecutors.
The charges, which Jones has said are 'all either baseless or they distort the truth', followed a hugely influential broadcasting career launched in 1985.
During his decades on the air, 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 tilt at politics, he also coached the Australian national men's rugby union team through some historic achievements between 1984 and 1988.
