Alan Jones didn't have any scientific evidence to back up his claim 12 people were killed during the 2011 Queensland floods due to the collapse of a quarry wall, a court has heard.
But the lack of expert evidence didn't stop the the talkback host making the assertion and then repeating them during another day of questioning at Brisbane Supreme Court, where he is being sued over the remarks.
Toowoomba brothers John, Denis, Neill and Joe Wagner are suing Jones, Harbour Radio, 4BC and writer Nick Cater over 32 broadcasts aired between 2014 and 2015 relating to the floods.
They allege they were blamed for the deaths of 12 people when rapid flooding engulfed the town of Grantham following the collapse of a wall at a quarry, which they own.
"I've regularly asserted that," Jones said.
Jones still stood by what he has said after a $2.5 million inquiry by then solicitor-in-general Walter Sofronoff in 2015 cleared the Wagners.
The inquiry found neither the quarry nor any other man-made structures significantly impacted the floods and nothing could have been done to have avoided the tragedy.
Jones disagrees.
The day after the Sofronoff report came down, Jones was on the air and said its author was a "class act."
But he continued to attack the Wagners, the court heard.
"I hold to those views," Jones said.
He also said he had issues with the hydrology reports tendered to the inquiry.
"The witnesses (from Grantham) were of the view that the hydrology conclusions were wrong," Jones said while giving evidence.
"My concern was that the hydrology reports were not correct, not accurate and therefore, while I accepted what Mr Sofronoff has said, I didn't accept the conclusions."
Under cross examination from the Wagner's barrister Tom Blackburn, Jones was questioned about what had led him to form his opinions.
"You had no, first of all, hydrological evidence, at all," he asked.
"No, I did not," Jones replied.
"You had no scientific evidence, expert evidence, of any kind," Mr Blackburn followed up.
"No, just the evidence of people's eyes. Witnesses," Jones responded.
On Friday, Jones denied he hated the Wagners, was careless with the truth and wilfully blind to information that didn't suit his narrative.
Following three days of often tense questioning from the Wagner's lawyer, Jones finished evidence on Monday afternoon.
Cater was called to the witness box next.
He is due to continue giving evidence on Tuesday.
Australian Associated Press
