"Baseless": Alan Jones unleashes outside court
Alan Jones has broken his silence outside court as he prepares to fight historical abuse allegations after being slapped with 34 charges.
The former 2GB radio host appeared before Judge Michael Allen at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, as his high-profile solicitor, Bryan Wrench, entered pleas of not guilty to 34 charges relating to 10 alleged victims on Jones' behalf.
As Jones left the courthouse, he delivered a statement to the media, saying the allegations against him are “either baseless or distort the truth”.
“Firstly, let me say this: I am certainly not guilty and I will be presenting my account to a jury, as you heard this morning,” he said.
“I will not be engaging in a running commentary in the media, but I want you to understand this: these allegations are either baseless or distort the truth.”
He claimed prior to his arrest he was given “no opportunity by police” to answer to the allegations.
“I have never indecently assaulted these people,” he said.
“The law assumes I am not guilty, and I am not guilty. I am emphatic that I’ll be defending every charge before a jury in due course.”
Inside the courtroom, Mr Wrench told the court that his client welcomed the prospect of the matters being determined by a jury.
“He seeks to have these matters determined by the public... Mr Jones looks forward to clearing his name in this matter,” he said.
Mr Jones is facing 26 charges, including committing an aggravated indecent act and sexually touching a person without consent, in relation to nine complainants. It is alleged the incidents occurred between 2001 and 2019.
On Wednesday he was hit with eight fresh charges of assault with an act of indecency, bringing the total number of charges to 34.
Image credits: DEAN LEWINS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial