By Adelaide Lang in Sydney

The sexual abuse case against ex-talkback host Alan Jones is infected with treachery, double-dealing and opportunism, his lawyer has argued as a major court hearing kicks off.

The 85-year-old veteran broadcaster is facing the first day of a marathon local court case after pleading not guilty to 22 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching without consent.

Six complainants will allege Jones indecently assaulted or sexually touched them between 2003 and 2020 at various locations across Sydney and the NSW Southern Highlands.

None of the complainants can be identified for legal reasons.

“Rivalry, treachery, double dealing, money, hatred, desperation, opportunism and more are at the heart of this case,” Jones’s barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC told the court on Monday.

While rumours and innuendo had dogged the former teacher for years, Ms Bashir said stories were different from criminal allegations.

Jones’s legal team had uncovered concoction, contamination, and reconstruction in the complainant’s accounts, she said.

“This court will finally see the evidence of what all the complainants did not tell police,” the defence barrister said.

In her opening address, crown prosecutor Georgina Wright SC said Jones had met one of the complainants when he was an up-and-coming high school athlete.

The former Wallabies coach allegedly gave the athlete a phone and a car, telling him he loved him and paying him $400 so he could focus on his future.

The payments later increased to $600 because the athlete had been “such a good boy”, the man is expected to tell the court.

Jones is accused of committing nine offences against the alleged victim, including kissing him multiple times without consent and touching his genitals while he was driving the broadcaster.

“(The athlete) felt trapped and didn’t know what to do,” Ms Wright said.

But Ms Bashir questioned the veracity of the man’s claims, saying the defence had recently received a “little bundle of dynamite” about his allegations.

“Your Honour cannot exclude he concocted his allegations. He is not the only one,” she said.

Another complainant, who was 21 years old and worked with the talkback host, would testify Jones called him “darling” and groped him while he was driving, Ms Wright said.

The court is expected to hear from a colleague who saw the man’s uncomfortable face as Jones touched him under the table and others joked about it.

“He felt shocked the defendant was doing this in a public place,” the prosecutor said.

But Ms Bashir accused the young man of rewriting his history with the broadcaster.

A swimmer is expected to say Jones called him “handsome” and labelled him a “superstar” during a meeting at his Sydney home.

“You’re special,” Jones allegedly told him.

He allegedly approached the swimmer at an awards ceremony and kissed him on the corner of the mouth.

“Darling, great to see you, great, sorry didn’t catch up after, you look great, I love you,” the radio host allegedly texted the swimmer afterwards.

Ms Bashir said the kiss, said to have happened amid a crowd of people, “simply did not happen” as she urged the court to dismiss the case against her client.

Jones is also accused of indecently assaulting two 17-year-olds by touching their bottoms.

The 85-year-old rose to prominence after he began broadcasting in 1985 and became a feared interviewer capable of grilling leaders while sharing his outspoken, conservative views.

He also coached the Australian national men’s rugby union team, the Wallabies, leading them to victory in his first year when they achieved a grand slam of wins on their British Isles tour.

News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.