Ex-2GB host denies ‘tailoring evidence’ to assist Alan Jones

A former 2GB host has denied tailoring his evidence to assist Alan Jones after he told a court he did not see the then-broadcaster appearing to touch a young man under the table at a lunch in Sydney.

Jason Morrison returned to the witness box on Tuesday in the Downing Centre Local Court after a legal issue temporarily halted his evidence on Monday.

He said he did not see Jones at the lunch about 20 years ago with his hand under the table, seemingly in the lap of a man in his early 20s known as complainant “C”. At the time, both Jones and Morrison worked at 2GB.

Jones, 85, is standing trial on 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent spanning a 17-year period from 2003 to 2020. He denies the allegations.

The trial centres on the evidence of six male complainants. “C” has told the court that Jones put his hand under the table at the lunch and touched him on the penis over his clothing.

Prosecutor Georgina Wright, SC, put to Morrison on Tuesday that he did see Jones with his hand under the table, and that he reacted with “surprise and amusement at what you saw”.

The court has heard the lunch was attended by guests from Jones’ professional and personal life, and they did not all know each other.

Morrison told the court on Monday that there was some joking among lunch guests about Jones and “C” because the young man was “stuck” at the “least-fun” end of the table next to the broadcaster.

However, he said that “C” had been smiling and there was “nothing [in his demeanour] that worried me”.

Wright put to him that “the joking was about the defendant appearing to give some romantic attention to ‘C’, wasn’t it?”

“Well, that was our joke,” Morrison said. “There was a time during the lunch where Alan put his arm over C’s shoulder … and we were making fun of the situation.

“I certainly know I never for a second thought anything that you’ve described to me happened. It was not meant with any particular malice or ill-intent.”

Wright asked: “Are you suggesting that the joke was simply because Alan put his arm around ‘C’?”

Morrison said that “the joke was they looked like a couple” but “I think it’s a big step to say that we genuinely thought they were one”. He described the jokes as banter.