At Alan Jones trial, Kate McClymont questioned over nail, coffin remark and poo emoji texts

Meaning of the recorded remark

Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC asked whether McClymont meant the phrase as a reference to Jones. McClymont said it was about the story and the new information, not killing Jones.

McClymont said the information mattered because she had previously been told police had received no complaints about Jones and had not investigated him. She said the mother’s account that her son had spoken to police was a significant development for her reporting.

Texts discussed in court

McClymont agreed she sent the mother messages saying Jones was under police investigation and that she hoped “the shit does hit the fan for him”. The court heard that the latter text included two poo emojis.

She also agreed she messaged a police media team contact, “Can hardly wait!”, about Jones’s expected arrest. On the day of his arrest at his Circular Quay apartment, she sought details and replied “beauty” after the arrest was confirmed.

Allegations and trial status

The court previously heard an allegation that Jones put his tongue inside the mouth of complainant A, a schoolboy, and touched him on the bottom during an overnight stay at Jones’s farm in Fitzroy Falls. The witness said he felt violated and gross.

Reporting and next hearing

McClymont said she gave police a statement in June 2024 and continued reporting because she had no indication she would be called as a prosecution witness. She told the court she stopped covering the case after learning she would be a witness at trial.

She is due back in court on Thursday for a third day. The trial, before Judge Glenn Walsh, is continuing at the Downing Centre local court.