Brand is in Southwark crown court today where his rape and sexual assault trial begins
1h agoBrand 'apologised for treating woman like an animal,' court hears
1h agoAlleged rape victim 'begged' for Brand to stop, court hears
2h agoWhat the court has heard so far
2h agoAlleged victim said Brand 'grabbed her by the face with both hands' during assault, court hears
2h agoBrand told alleged victim 'don't be a spoilsport', prosecutor says
3h agoBrand was 'prancing around' like Basil Fawlty before alleged rape in hotel room, court hears
4h agoBrand was 'ruthless, calculated and manipulative', court hears
4h agoProsecution outlines charges against Russell Brand as trial begins
4h agoBrand arrives at court
5h agoRussell Brand rape and sexual assault trial begins
Russell Brand is in court facing three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, in allegations dating between 1999 and 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones began the trial with her opening statement, telling the court the six alleged victims, all women, “did not know each other then and do not know each other now” and “came forward independently of each other”.
Karmy-Jones said the allegations “punctuate” 10 years of Brand’s life when “his career was beginning to flourish”.
The first alleged victim is a woman Brand allegedly raped in a hotel room during a Labour party conference in Bournemouth in 1999. The court heard the complainant, who was in her 20s at the time, said when she came out of the bathroom at her hotel room, Brand was topless and “prancing around the room – a bit like an ostrich, doing silly walks like Basil Fawlty”.
The second alleged victim is a woman who worked at MTV at the time of the alleged indecent assault incident in 2001. Jurors were told Brand had allegedly tried to force her into a toilet and that she “resisted by struggling and pulling back”. The woman was felt “bewildered and shocked”, Karmy-Jones said.
The third alleged victim is a woman who was also allegedly forced into a toilet by Brand during an incident at a bar in Soho in 2004. The court heard Brand “grabbed her arm and held her quite strongly and pulled her into the lavatory” where he allegedly orally raped her.
The fourth alleged victim is a woman who was in her 20s and working at a radio station in 2004 or 2005 when Brand allegedly sexually assaulted her. Karmy-Jones said Brand “instantly grabbed her by the face with both hands” and “pushed her up against a wall, where he kissed her ‘sloppily and aggressively’”. The prosecutor added: “During this assault he also grabbed her body, at her breasts, sides and buttocks aggressively.”
Concluding the prosecution’s opening statement, Karmy-Jones said:
Six women, separate women with different allegations, they don’t know each other and when you hear them I have no doubt you will find their evidence compelling.”
The court has now adjourned for a break until 2pm.
The prosecution outlined the allegations made by the final woman in the case, who said she met Brand while working on a project for Channel 4 in 2009.
The court heard Brand had demanded a massage, walked up to a chair the alleged victim was sitting on and placed his head directly into her groin area. Karmy-Jones told jurors that Brand had said “come on then, do it”, leaving the woman feeling “startled and incredibly uncomfortable”.
She said the alleged victim “was given no time to react – she ‘froze’”.
Brand allegedly sent a text message to the woman at a later date, to which she replied: “Why are you even messaging me?”, the jury was told.
Karmy-Jones said he responded: “Because you’re dirty, and I wanna push you further.”
She replied: ‘I think you pushed me far enough – you treated me like an animal.’ His response by text was immediate – he simply said: ‘I’m sorry.’ She didn’t hear from or see him again.”
She replied: ‘I think you pushed me far enough – you treated me like an animal.’
His response by text was immediate – he simply said: ‘I’m sorry.’
She didn’t hear from or see him again.”
Continuing with the fifth alleged victim, Karmy-Jones told the court that the woman gave her number to Brand and he texted her later that week.
She was collected by a driver and taken to Brand’s address, where she said they had consensual sex, the court heard.
Brand then turned her over and raped her anally, Karmy-Jones said.
She told jurors: “She asked him to stop, at first quietly and then louder, a number of times, begging. He did not.”
Karmy-Jones said Brand had taken off his condom from the earlier intercourse, adding that “the whole thing did not last that long” and that he told her afterwards to “clean up the mess you have made”.
The alleged victim “blamed herself” and “hated herself for what had happened”, jurors were told.
Karmy-Jones is now taking the jury through the next allegation, involving a woman who met Brand after seeing his show at the Hammersmith Apollo in London in 2009.
The alleged victim said she remembered Brand telling the audience at the end of his show: “If you see me out in the foyer and you think ‘I really fancy him and would like to have sex with him, but I can’t because it is Russell Brand’, you probably can have sex with me. My age range is from 16 to death.”
The woman, who attended the show with a friend, said Brand pointed at them and they were invited backstage for drinks, the court heard.
Karmy-Jones outlined what the prosecution says happened at the bar:
On the way she bumped into Mr Brand. He stopped, he looked at her. They had a very brief exchange and then he just kissed her, there and then, on the lips in the middle of the bar.”
The prosecutor said the woman felt “star struck” and agreed to perform a sex act on Brand, which the court was told was consensual.
Karmy-Jones said the complainant was in a relationship at the time and felt “regret”.
The court is told about the fourth complainant, a woman who was in her 20s and working at a radio station in 2004 or 2005 when Brand allegedly sexually assaulted her.
After she had left a room while at work, Brand “instantly grabbed her by the face with both hands” and “pushed her up against a wall, where he kissed her ‘sloppily and aggressively’”, Karmy-Jones told jurors.
During this assault he also grabbed her body, at her breasts, sides and buttocks aggressively. She tried to push him off, but he was too strong … it was rough, fast and frenzied.”
During this assault he also grabbed her body, at her breasts, sides and buttocks aggressively.
She tried to push him off, but he was too strong … it was rough, fast and frenzied.”
While this was happening, she looked to the woman that he was with, hoping she would intervene but neither the men or the woman did anything. She finally managed to push him away, saying words to him to the effect of ‘fuck off’. Mr Brand stumbled backwards at that final push and just sniggered – like it was a joke.”
While this was happening, she looked to the woman that he was with, hoping she would intervene but neither the men or the woman did anything.
She finally managed to push him away, saying words to him to the effect of ‘fuck off’.
Mr Brand stumbled backwards at that final push and just sniggered – like it was a joke.”
Taking jurors through the third allegation, Karmy-Jones said Brand pulled another woman into a toilet during an incident at a bar in Soho in 2004.
The third complainant was “not so lucky as to be able to pull away”, the prosecutor said.
The court heard Brand “grabbed her arm and held her quite strongly and pulled her into the lavatory” where he allegedly orally raped her.
Karmy-Jones told jurors that the woman said: “What are you doing? I don’t want to do this,” to which Brand replied: “‘Oh come on, don’t be a spoilsport. You want to,’ or something along those lines.”
The prosecution outlined the second allegation against Brand, involving a woman who worked at MTV at the time of the alleged incident in 2001.
The court heard that the woman offered to show Brand where the toilets were, when he allegedly told her, “Come in, go on, come in,” and “grabbed her hard by her forearm”.
Karmy-Jones told jurors the alleged victim “resisted by struggling and pulling back”.
She continued to resist saying, ‘I’m not coming in there, don’t be silly. Are you mad? Get off,’ and she managed to pull herself away, and to release his grasp. At that point he gave up and went into the toilet, and she left the area.”
She continued to resist saying, ‘I’m not coming in there, don’t be silly. Are you mad? Get off,’ and she managed to pull herself away, and to release his grasp.
At that point he gave up and went into the toilet, and she left the area.”
The woman felt “bewildered and shocked” by the alleged assault, jurors were told.
Continuing with the first alleged victim, Karmy-Jones said the woman met Brand at a fringe event at the Labour party conference where he was performing, and that they had engaged in a conversation that later continued in a hotel room.
The complainant, who was in her 20s at the time, said when she came out of the bathroom at her hotel room, Brand was topless, the court heard.
As she came out of the bathroom he was prancing around the room – a bit like an ostrich, doing silly walks like Basil Fawlty, she said. She was taken aback, she was shocked, she didn’t really know what to do – and in her words she froze. She asked him why he had taken his clothes off, and he said something along the lines of ‘It’s OK, it’s just how I am, don’t worry … I’m mostly naked at home.’”
As she came out of the bathroom he was prancing around the room – a bit like an ostrich, doing silly walks like Basil Fawlty, she said.
She was taken aback, she was shocked, she didn’t really know what to do – and in her words she froze.
She asked him why he had taken his clothes off, and he said something along the lines of ‘It’s OK, it’s just how I am, don’t worry … I’m mostly naked at home.’”
The court heard how Brand allegedly raped the woman, who said she was “drifting out of her head” during the alleged attack, and that he later “behaved as if nothing had happened”.
Karmy-Jones said the alleged victim was “left in shock”, “crying” and feeling “ashamed”, “dirty” and “stupid”.
She added: “Throughout, she felt it was her fault. She almost chastised herself for inviting him back to her room.”
Karmy-Jones turned to the first allegation against Brand, in which he is alleged to have raped a woman in a hotel room during a Labour party conference in Bournemouth in 1999.
She told the court a witness named Mark Pinheiro said he recalled that Brand was “desperate” to have sex before they left the conference.
As you will hear, the defendant did achieve his objective. He found a victim, engaged with her, told her ‘exactly what she needed to hear’, and then manipulated the situation so as to have sex with her.”
As you will hear, the defendant did achieve his objective.
He found a victim, engaged with her, told her ‘exactly what she needed to hear’, and then manipulated the situation so as to have sex with her.”
The court heard Brand had burst into a flat the morning after the alleged rape in Bournemouth and told the group he was with to “pack up their stuff” and that they “had to leave town immediately”. Karmy-Jones said:
Once in the car, the defendant behaved oddly, shrinking down in the back seat to hide his head beneath the window. When pressed about where he had been the night before, and why they had to leave so abruptly, he said he had forgotten he had an audition.”
Once in the car, the defendant behaved oddly, shrinking down in the back seat to hide his head beneath the window.
When pressed about where he had been the night before, and why they had to leave so abruptly, he said he had forgotten he had an audition.”
Brand would later admit to Pinheiro that it was not an audition but that he had had sex with a woman in Bournemouth the night before their hasty departure, telling him that things “might have got a little out of hand”, Karmy-Jones told jurors.
The prosecution cited remarks made by Brand’s friends during the early years of his career, including one who described the comedian as someone who “was rampant in his desire to have sex”.
Another friend, speaking about Brand before he found fame, described him as “very impulsive. His impulsivity led him to be very single-minded, and women and sex were a goal and an obsession,” Karmy-Jones told the court.
She told jurors that these comments would provide an insight into what Brand was like in his former years.
She said: “This is important because what you must bear in mind in this case is that, although you’re sat as jurors in Southwark crown court on October 14 2026 listening to my opening address, you will be considering offences that took place between around 27 and 17 years ago, when the defendant was aged roughly between 24-33.
“So the man who you will be considering in this trial is not the Mr Brand who is sitting in the dock, who is now 51.”
She added that while Brand may have changed both physically and as a person in the years since that “his responsibility for wrongs done, crimes committed at a younger age remain the same”.
“His public profile was taking off as he was progressing from doing gigs as a standup comedian at pubs and clubs to a TV presenter, an actor and Hollywood movie star,” she told jurors.
She added that the circumstances of the alleged offences were “as wide and as varied as the defendant’s career”, and that the offending took place in a number of locations including a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle in a bar and at his home address.
Continuing her opening statement, Karmy-Jones said:
Some of the women involved protested and said no, others had no opportunity to react to his advances but it mattered not to the defendant. Regardless of who they were and what they said or did, Russell Brand was not deterred. His desire, strong desire for some form of sexual contact, was indiscriminate and voracious. He would be nice when he wanted to be, funny – undoubtedly – charming, likable even – when he wanted something in return – but then demanding, entitled, a flirt with a huge sexual appetite, childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met. He was ruthless, calculated and manipulative, and, the prosecution say, a sexual predator.”
Some of the women involved protested and said no, others had no opportunity to react to his advances but it mattered not to the defendant.
Regardless of who they were and what they said or did, Russell Brand was not deterred.
His desire, strong desire for some form of sexual contact, was indiscriminate and voracious. He would be nice when he wanted to be, funny – undoubtedly – charming, likable even – when he wanted something in return – but then demanding, entitled, a flirt with a huge sexual appetite, childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.
He was ruthless, calculated and manipulative, and, the prosecution say, a sexual predator.”
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones has begun proceedings by outlining the charges against Russell Brand to the court.
Russell Brand, as you may know, and if you didn’t know before this trial, is a celebrity. He was born on June 4 1975 making him now 51 years old. He is here as he has been charged with a number of sexual offences including rape and sexual assault as you heard, those offences were committed against six different women between approximately 1999 and 2009. Six different women, six women who did not know each other then and do not know each other now, who have never met each other, and who came forward independently of each other. Their paths all crossed the defendant’s either through their employment, social events or through attending gigs where he was performing.”
Russell Brand, as you may know, and if you didn’t know before this trial, is a celebrity.
He was born on June 4 1975 making him now 51 years old.
He is here as he has been charged with a number of sexual offences including rape and sexual assault as you heard, those offences were committed against six different women between approximately 1999 and 2009.
Six different women, six women who did not know each other then and do not know each other now, who have never met each other, and who came forward independently of each other.
Their paths all crossed the defendant’s either through their employment, social events or through attending gigs where he was performing.”
Brand was driven to the court in a black Mercedes-Benz van, which parked directly outside the court building, where crowds of reporters and photographers had gathered for his trial.
Brand waited inside the vehicle for around a minute before stepping out, wearing a dark suit, a black-and-white striped shirt, a long white tie and sunglasses. He reached out for his wife’s hand before the pair walked together towards the court.
Russell Brand spoke to the media as he arrived at court this morning, saying he was feeling “concerned but hopeful”.
He said: “Today I feel blessed, I feel of course concerned but hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody involved.
Russell Brand will be back in Southwark crown court today where his rape and sexual assault trial is expected to begin.
We should be hearing opening statements from the prosecution, which will set out an overview of the allegations against the 51-year-old comedian. He has been charged with three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault against six women, in allegations that date from 1999 to 2009. Brand has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
He has been pictured arriving at court this morning with his wife, Laura Gallacher.
A jury was sworn in yesterday, with a warning from the judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, to ignore past reporting about Brand and allegations of sexual misconduct. You can read our report here:
The Press Association has been outside court this morning, where news crews have been setting up shop several hours before the trial begins. Here’s what the news agency reports:
A crowd of members of the press were gathered outside Southwark crown court hours before Russell Brand’s trial was due to start. Photographers, video journalists and news presenters could be seen in position at around 7.30am, while a line of reporters waited to get in to the court building. Members of court security were also outside the building, along with a small group of police officers. One police officer was heard telling members of the press to stay behind barriers which were in place directly outside the building.”
A crowd of members of the press were gathered outside Southwark crown court hours before Russell Brand’s trial was due to start.
Photographers, video journalists and news presenters could be seen in position at around 7.30am, while a line of reporters waited to get in to the court building.
Members of court security were also outside the building, along with a small group of police officers.
One police officer was heard telling members of the press to stay behind barriers which were in place directly outside the building.”
The trial is scheduled to begin at 10am, so follow along for live updates throughout the day as the case gets under way.
