Broadcasts changed husband, says wife

THE wife of one of four Toowoomba brothers suing Alan Jones has told of her husband’s massive personality change as a result of the radio host’s broadcasts since 2013.

Elizabeth Wagner, who has been married to John Wagner for 27 years, told the Supreme Court in Brisbane that her husband would sometimes cry daily.

Mrs Wagner said some of the broadcasts critical of the Wagners were at a time when her husband was having cancer treatment.

“I was always concerned the stress exacerbated his cancer,” she told the court.

Denis, John, Neill and Joe Wagner have sued Alan Jones, Radio 4BC Brisbane, Jones’s employer, Harbour Radio and journalist Nick Cater for damages for alleged defamation.

The total claims against the four defendants were recently increased to $4.8 million.

Describing her husband before the radio broadcasts, Mrs Wagner said: “John Wagner was an amazing husband, an exceptional father, an exceptional businessman”.

She said her husband had been very committed to growing the Wagners business and providing for his family.

He had been an easy going, fun-loving person, who had been committed to working hard, she said.

After Alan Jones’s radio broadcasts began, she noticed a big change in her husband, Mrs Wagner told the court.

“He became a lot more teary. I thought he was making a lot quicker decisions. He appeared to be troubled, he just wasn’t himself,” Mrs Wagner said.

“He was very short with myself and the children ... Obviously he was struggling.”

Mrs Wagner said her husband became angry with the name calling in the media.

When asked how he had reacted when he listened to the broadcasts, Mrs Wagner said: “I saw him cry. I saw him stressed with it, just angry with the name calling.”

The judge-only defamation trial is continuing.