00:02Alan Jones enjoyed millions of loyal listeners in his time at 2GB.
00:07Today, his indecent assault trial has heard he had a loyal colleague.
00:11Was your colleague protecting you today, Mr Jones?
00:13A former 2GB staffer has been asked to recall a 2008 Christmas lunch at a Sydney restaurant.
00:19Some other guests allege this man saw Mr Jones rest his hand on a younger colleague's crotch under the table
00:26before making a joke about it.
00:28But the witness says he doesn't remember being there at all, telling the court,
00:33I don't recall the lunch and I have never seen at that venue or at any venue what you suggested.
00:39Prosecutors won an application to cross-examine the man as an unfavourable witness.
00:44The court was shown texts he sent Alan Jones in 2023,
00:48after he was contacted by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Kate McClymont,
00:52who was investigating Mr Jones.
00:54He referred to the journalist as a c***, a low-breed, pure evil,
00:59and told Mr Jones,
01:00if you need me to refute any lies, I of course will.
01:04The witness agreed he was loyal to Alan Jones and admired him,
01:08telling the broadcaster in other texts,
01:18Under repeated questioning, the witness appeared frustrated at times,
01:22insisting he had never seen the broadcaster do anything sexually inappropriate.
01:27But prosecutors say he's putting his loyalty above the truth.
01:31Your lack of recollection is not genuine, is it?
01:34It is genuine. It was 18 years ago.
01:38Mr Jones has pleaded not guilty to 22 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching.
