00:02Former Wallabies player and prominent author Peter Fitzsimons has been called to give evidence in relation to one of Alan
00:09Jones' six male complainants known as Complainant C.
00:13Now C alleges that he was indecently assaulted by Mr Jones on eight separate occasions when he was his younger
00:20colleague back in 2008.
00:22Now Peter Fitzsimons says he was in contact with Ray Hadley, Mr Jones' radio counterpart in October 2019 and Mr
00:30Hadley was backgrounding against Mr Jones.
00:33Mr Fitzsimons says Mr Hadley offered the author a source to speak to in regards to a story he was
00:40investigating surrounding allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Mr Jones.
00:46He says the next day a phone call was organised between himself, Hadley and that complainant.
00:52The complainant allegedly told Peter Fitzsimons in that phone call that Alan Jones would inappropriately touch him in the car
00:59while he was driving and had also pushed him up against the walls of a lift to Mr Jones' circular
01:04key apartment and kissed him on the mouth without consent.
01:08He said those incidents were frequent.
01:10Now Peter Fitzsimons says he took notes of that discussion and later forwarded those notes to his editors at the
01:17Sydney Morning Herald including the investigative reporter Kate McClymont.
01:20But we heard throughout this trial that the complainant told Peter Fitzsimons that he did not wish to be identified
01:27and did not identify himself to the author throughout that conversation and Peter Fitzsimons agreed not to publish his story.
01:35Instead he forwarded those notes to Miss McClymont who eventually did publish a story in December 2023 which first aired
01:42complainant's allegations against the veteran broadcaster.
01:46Now under cross-examination Mr Fitzsimons was asked about his so-called public and unashamed dislike for Alan Jones.
01:54It's something he accepted that he still holds today.
01:58Asked about some of his previous articles where he criticised Mr Jones as a bully, a liar and saying that
02:04he was a tumour on politics in this country.
02:07Mr Fitzsimons says he was incredibly proud of that quote and the writing that he has published against Mr Jones,
02:14criticising Mr Jones.
02:15He says he's almost proud of his continuous anti-Jones writing and says that he gave his statement to police
02:23honestly and truthfully despite leaving out the fact that he had made those notes of the conversation with Ray Hadley
02:30and complainant C back in 2019.
02:33Mr Fitzsimons says he has not tried to hide anything and gave everything to police that was requested of him.
02:40He's still giving evidence in this trial which is due to continue for several months.
