Alan Jones case: Some sexual assault charges dropped; trial continues in November

Alan Jones, the former Wallabies coach and long-time Australian broadcaster, has had a number of historic sex crime charges against him dropped or amended in a Sydney court on Thursday.The 84-year-old, once one of the country’s most influential conservative radio hosts, was arrested last year at his luxury Sydney apartment by officers from a specialist child abuse squad.

He was originally facing 44 charges linked to several alleged victims between 2001 and 2019.Prosecutors have now withdrawn 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault and made other adjustments. Jones is left facing 27 charges in total, including indecent assault and sexual touching without consent.His lawyer, Bryan Wrench, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf, as Jones was not required to attend court. Wrench called the changes a "very big development" and a "significant concession", according to the ABC.The case is due back in court on November 11, AFP reported.Jones, who is currently on bail, has previously rejected all allegations. Speaking in December, he said he was "certainly not guilty" and insisted he would contest "every charge"."These allegations are all either baseless or they distort the truth," he told reporters at the time. He also claimed police had not given him a chance to respond before his arrest, "I have never indecently assaulted these people.

The law assumes that I'm not guilty, and I am not guilty."Jones coached Australia’s national rugby union team, the Wallabies, between 1984 and 1988. He led them to a rare northern hemisphere "Grand Slam" in 1984, defeating England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, and oversaw their first Bledisloe Cup win over New Zealand in 39 years in 1986.His success in rugby saw him inducted into Australia’s sports hall of fame in 1989. He later became a dominant voice in public life through his radio show, which politicians from across the spectrum sought to appear on. Jones stepped away from broadcasting in 2020.