Monday began with Alan Jones being arrested at his luxury Circular Quay apartment over allegations he had indecently assaulted several young men. On Saturday night, Jones had been a star attraction at a gathering of Sydney’s upper crust, acting as MC and speech-maker at the 80th birthday of Maurice Neil , KC, a barrister and former soldier who served as a federal MP for the Liberals in the 1970s. More recently, Neil represented Moses Obeid , son of disgraced former Labor MP Eddie Obeid in a criminal case in which the pair were jailed over a rigged tender scheme.
Alan Jones is swamped by a media throng as he leaves Day Street police station. Credit: James Brickwood Neil’s birthday do was held at the Darling Point mansion that the top silk bought off former University of Sydney chancellor Belinda Hutchinson in 2015, and the room was filled with fellow barristers, and a few Liberal Party types. Former state Liberal leader Peter Collins , ex-attorney-general Gabrielle Upton and moderate party powerbroker Michael Photios were among the guests.
Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane , considered a future state party leader, scored an invite but stayed home sick. On Thursday night, Jones shared a stage with former prime minister John Howard , ex-NSW police minister David Elliott and NSW Liberal MP Rachel Merton at an event put on by Australians for Constitutional Monarchy to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Republic Referendum. Jones’ arrest comes nearly 12 months after an inve.
