A NSW police officer has told court that she walked around Alan Jones’ luxury harbourside apartment to shut all the roller blinds as she prepared to arrest the 2GB heavyweight in 2024.
Detective Senior Constable Katherine McDiarmid wanted to shield Jones from the view of anyone looking into the Circular Quay unit, she told his indecent assault and sexual touching trial on Friday.
Details of the 85-year-old’s arrest were aired at Downing Centre Local Court as the trial entered its fourth month. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching against five male complainants over 17 years to 2020, denying the alleged acts occurred.
McDiarmid, of the Illawarra Child Abuse Squad, gave evidence that she joined Strike Force Bonnefin in March 2024 to investigate allegations of indecent assault and sexual touching against Jones.
The strike force was created following a major investigation published in the Sydney Morning Herald detailing alleged sexual misconduct by Jones.
She agreed with prosecutor Emma Curran that at 6.30am on November 18, 2024, she joined other detectives for a briefing at Day Street Police Station about executing a search warrant at Jones’ Macquarie Street apartment. The warrant followed investigative work that included seeking statements from various people.
About one hour later, she and two other investigators went to the unit and were given a key by the concierge, she said.
McDiarmid said she went into the main living area and called out to Jones but did not find him.
A colleague found him in a bedroom and brought him into the loungeroom.
The witness agreed that she pulled his blinds shut as her colleague cautioned Jones and placed him under arrest.
Jones asked to contact his lawyers and used McDiarmid’s phone to call solicitor Chris Murphy. Shortly after, solicitor Bryan Wrench attended the unit. Both Murphy and Wrench have represented Jones throughout the trial, alongside their colleagues.
The detectives took Jones to Day Street Police station and into custody where he was charged with a string of sexual offences amid, the court heard.
After the charge process and a discussion between Jones and the detectives about the allegations, Jones was granted bail and left the station.
On the steps of Downing Centre court complex shortly following his arrest, Jones declared his innocence and vowed to defend the charges he described as baseless or truth-distorting.
Asked by Jones’ barrister Michael Burke if she knew of any communication between police and media about the arrest, McDiarmid said she did not contact any media about it.
She said media presence was not discussed in the morning briefing about the arrest.
Earlier this week, the court heard from the Herald ’s chief investigative journalist Kate McClymont , who broke the stories about Jones ahead of his arrest.
She spoke to three of the five complainants in the trial, the court was told.
Texts were read out by Jones’ Barrister Gabrielle Bashir, SC, between McClymont and Erin Bouda, then a NSW Police media spokesperson. The exchange started three days before Jones’ arrest.
“It’s Erin Bouda on my personal number,” one text read.
“Please save this one as I’ll probably use it to reach out to you when it goes down.”
“Can hardly wait!” McClymont replied to Bouda.
At 7.51am on the day of the arrest, McClymont texted Bouda asking if Jones had been arrested “at his apartment”, the court heard. Bouda replied: “Yes.”
McClymont asked whether “we say arrested or taken into custody” and Bouda said “arrested”.
“Beauty!!” McClymont replied, the court heard.
Bouda also told McClymont when Jones was leaving his apartment, the court heard.
McClymont agreed that she understood the purpose of that was so that journalists and photographers could be at the ready.
By 8.03am McClymont’s article about the arrest had been published.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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