In a Sydney court, a witness in the Alan Jones trial told the barrister that he was 'groomed for 10 years' and to 'get real' during a combative cross-examination. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

The 85-year-old former broadcaster has pleaded not guilty to 20 indecent assault charges and two counts of sexual touching in relation to six men. The case is being heard at Downing Centre Local Court.

Complainant C, a former driver for Jones, testified that Jones touched his penis and kissed him. He started working at 2GB in the mid-2000s at age 18. He said the unwanted touching began a few years later when he was a driver for Jones.

Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC told the court that text exchanges between C and Jones were 'inconsistent' with C feeling uncomfortable after the alleged incidents. However, C disagreed: 'These are messages consistent with someone who had been groomed for 10 years, to think this was an acceptable way to talk with him.'

A text from C to Jones in 2015 read: 'I'm a bachelor again. The Donkey is out.' When asked why he would send a text referencing his penis to a man who allegedly touched his penis without consent, C said: 'I knew he would like to be spoken to like that.'

Bashir repeatedly put it to C that his explicit texts to Jones, sometimes instigated by C, were not consistent with the broadcaster having assaulted him. C replied: 'I was a junior staffer 40 years younger than him.'

Bashir pointed to exchanges where both men texted about the size of C's penis, including a message where C sent emojis of a winking face and an eggplant, and Jones wrote: 'Fuck, I need to see the Donkey.' C said he did not like reading the messages from the mid-2010s.

C, becoming frustrated, told the court: 'I sent those messages because I knew I never had to act on it. All my text messages are consistent with what he did to me and how I felt I needed to speak with him. I don't like hearing a bloke 40 years older writing to a straight guy about wanting to play with his penis – get real.'

Asked why he maintained a relationship after leaving Jones's employment, C said: 'Alan was still very, very powerful in our industry. Dare I say, he had more power than Ray Hadley.'

At one stage, Judge Glenn Walsh stopped the cross-examination and noted Bashir had put to the witness 16 times that the allegations were not true.

The court previously heard that in October 2019, C told Jones's rival 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley that Jones used to kiss him and touch his penis.

Bashir asked if C had reluctantly invited Jones to his wedding and mentioned the broadcaster's generosity in his wedding speech. The court heard Jones gave C a $2,000 cheque as a wedding gift. C explained he didn't want to get Jones offside by not inviting him.

Bashir suggested C was not 'uncomfortable and anxious' as he claimed when he met with Jones, and that C worked for someone at Jones's Circular Quay apartment. The barrister said a contradictory text C sent to Jones at the same time read: 'I miss hanging out with you and seeing your face every day.'

C said his job working for a politician meant it was 'important to keep that relationship with Alan – the sentiments were not genuine. I never would have told Alan that I was uncomfortable and anxious.'

The trial continues.