During questioning at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, the now-doctor, who alleges Jones put his tongue in his mouth and touched his bottom at a Fitzroy Falls farm when he was 17, was asked about dozens of emails discussing renovations and legal arrangements. Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir, SC, suggested his mother had more input into the emails than he had claimed. "Were you trying to deceive Mr Jones about the author of the email when you sent emails signed off just from just [his name] that your mother had input into?" she asked. "A" disagreed.
Jones, 85, is on trial for 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent against five male complainants between 2003 and 2020. He denies the alleged acts occurred. The fifth and final complainant, known as "A", told the court he developed a friendship with Jones from age 13 after seeking help for his financially struggling family. Jones leveraged contacts to help them remortgage their home and funded renovations exceeding $100,000 before the alleged assault, which occurred when "A" was 17 and Jones in his 70s.
The cross-examination of "A" continues as the defence presses on the financial arrangements and the nature of the relationship, aiming to undermine the credibility of his allegations.