Live: Ray Hadley returns to witness box for third day in Alan Jones trial

Ray Hadley returned to the witness box for a third day as Alan Jones’s indecent assault and sexual touching trial entered its fourth week.

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I wasn't happy with him.

Hadley’s cross-examination ended on Thursday, after defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC questioned him about his relationship with Jones and events at 2GB in 2018 and 2019. Prosecutor Georgina Wright SC then began re-examining him.

Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to all 22 charges, which relate to six alleged victims. One alleged victim, known in court as Complainant C, said Jones kissed him in a work lift and touched his crotch several times in 2008. The court heard that he later confided in Hadley about the allegations.

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a parasite

Much of the defence questioning focused on Hadley’s dealings with Jones while Hadley signed a contract worth $4 million to take over 2GB’s breakfast program. Text messages presented in court showed Hadley calling Jones “a parasite”, using a homophobic slur and saying Jones “needs to be destroyed”. Hadley also described their relationship as “tumultuous” and did not refute the suggestion that he harboured animosity toward Jones. “I wasn't happy with him,” Hadley said.

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needs to be destroyed

Hadley said a 2GB colleague he called a “double agent” told him Jones had asked staff to “dig up dirt on Hadley”. Jones later re-signed as breakfast host before leaving the station in 2020. Hadley denied having a vested interest in the case’s outcome and rejected the suggestion that he encouraged Complainant C to make allegations to remove Jones from the breakfast program.

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dig up dirt on Hadley