Laura Gallacher, the wife of Russell Brand, was escorted out of Southwark Crown Court on Thursday morning after the judge intervened during her evidence in her husband's trial. Brand, 51, faces seven charges relating to six women, including three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault, allegedly committed between 1999 and 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Judge Halts Questioning
Gallacher, who has been married to Brand since 2017, was giving evidence when defence lawyer Ian Winter KC asked whether she was aware of the allegations. After she confirmed she was, Winter asked for her view on the truth of the allegations. Judge Mr Justice Bennathan interjected, saying "No, no, no," noting that she is not an expert witness.
Winter then asked about her view of Brand's character, but lead prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC interrupted, saying "No... that is wholly unacceptable." At that point, Gallacher and the jury were ushered out of the courtroom, with security guard Joe McCann following Brand's wife.
Character Testimony
Earlier, Gallacher told the court that her husband is "caring, kind and a wonderful father to our children." She added, "He is an amazingly attentive husband. He has got an eye for detail I've never known before. The way he treats me is to really know me, I feel very seen by him in every way. I love him very much."
Gallacher, 39, said she had been by her husband's side throughout most of the trial and had been making notes while in court.
Relationship History
Brand and Gallacher first met at the Edinburgh festival in 2006 and dated briefly before splitting in 2007. They rekindled their romance in 2015 and now share three children together. Gallacher said she knew Brand "liked women" before they met and discovered he had slept with others when they initially started dating.
"I wasn't interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people," she said. "I was invested; we both had told each other we loved each other, but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous."
Speaking about their current relationship, Gallacher said: "We have a very honest, frank, and clear relationship and marriage. It is one of the most important parts of our marriage, and our relationship has always been honest."
