Six women have given evidence at Southwark Crown Court accusing Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, describing how he allegedly switched from charming to violent and then acted as if nothing had happened. Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault, relating to six women between 1999 and 2009.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC said in her opening remarks that Brand gave prepared statements when questioned by police. The trial has heard that the end of the prosecution case is expected early next week, to be followed by Brand's defence.
Labour Party conference allegation
A woman who attended the 1999 Labour Party Conference said Brand raped her in a hotel room after she watched him perform at a fringe event. She said she invited him to her room believing he was gay and not a threat. She told the court that after she went to the bathroom, she returned to find Brand practically naked, prancing around and being silly. "I found his body quite snake like and disgusting. It made me feel sick if I'm honest," she said.
She said Brand made her take pictures of him on her camera, and that his demeanour changed suddenly. "He just changed, suddenly from this camp and friendly and effeminate to monster-like," she said. She alleges Brand pushed her onto the bed, removed some of her clothing and raped her, telling her "It's normal, enjoy it" during the attack. She said that afterwards Brand claimed he had remembered he needed to go see his mum, wrote down his email without her asking, and told her he got tested regularly and had no disease.
MTV office and Soho bar incidents
An MTV worker gave evidence that Brand tried to drag her into a toilet at one of the company's offices in 2001. She said he turned into a "wild-eyed maniac" as he grabbed her by the arm and tried to pull her into the toilet, pleading "go on, go on, come in!". She said she wrenched herself free and reported the incident to colleagues but not to bosses. "The reason that I didn't was because I was scared. I got away, I thought it would be my word against him," she said. She later reported it to police after watching a Channel 4 documentary about Brand.
Another woman, who was working for MTV at the time, accused Brand of groping her during a birthday party at a Soho bar, then dragging her to the toilet and forcing her to perform oral sex on him. She said he "lunged" forward and grabbed her breasts less than a minute into their conversation. "He literally just grabbed my boobs, out of nowhere, just in the middle of a conversation and I just remember this weird, maniacal grin, looming in front of me," she said. She alleged Brand locked the door, jumped on top of a toilet seat lid, unzipped his trousers and forced her into oral sex, saying "don't be a spoilsport" when she appeared unwilling.
Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC, suggested the woman had been excited to meet the TV star and had willingly gone into the toilet with him, and argued the encounter was cut short because of the "disgusting" state of the flooded toilets. She replied: "I don't agree. I was dragged there against my will."
Radio station and Hampstead home allegations
An employee of a London radio station told the court she was pinned against a wall, groped and subjected to "sloppy" kisses by Brand. She said he "leapt on me" as she emerged from a radio studio. "It was rough, it was very, very rough. It was hard, I would say that his whole body was pressed against me, the kisses were hard and sloppy, going down my neck. The reason I used the word frenzied is because it was just, it was violent," she said. She said Brand's entourage did not intervene and that she pushed him away. She did not report the incident at the time, citing a "culture of fear" and believing her line manager would have said "you're lucky".
Brand is accused of raping a 21-year-old fan a few days after they met at his 2009 stand-up comedy show at the Hammersmith Apollo. The woman said she went to his Hampstead townhouse for what she thought would be consensual sex, but Brand forced her to shower and brush her teeth after saying her hair smelled "funny". She alleged that during intercourse Brand removed the condom and began to have anal sex without seeking consent. She said she repeatedly told him: "Can you stop, can you stop, can you stop?" Afterwards, she said Brand told her to "clear up the mess that you've made". She told the court: "I didn't consent to what happened to me."
Channel 4 massage allegation
A sixth woman, a Channel 4 worker, alleged she was forced into giving Brand a massage in 2009, during which he put his head into her lap, leaning in so close she could feel his breath on her intimate parts. She said she was told the only way Brand would carry on with a project was if she gave him a massage. "I was so repulsed by the situation and my automatic reaction was 'urgh, you're so bony'," she said. She reported the incident to her line manager the following day.
Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, has attended every day of the evidence so far. The trial continues.
