Russell Brand was a 'ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator' with an 'insatiable desire to get what he wanted with whomever he wanted it', his rape trial was told this morning.
The 51-year-old is accused of seven charges, including rape and sexual assault against six different women between 1999 and 2009. He denies all the charges and has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution opens case at Southwark Crown Court
Opening the case against him at Southwark Crown Court, prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC told jurors the six complainants crossed paths with Brand 'when his career was beginning to flourish'.
'His public profile was taking off as he was progressing from doing gigs as a stand-up comedian at pubs and clubs to a TV presenter, an actor, and Hollywood movie star,' she said.
'The circumstances of the offending were as wide and as varied as the defendant's career. Offending took place in a number of locations: a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle in a bar and at his home address.'
Prosecutor describes alleged tactics
Ms Karmy-Jones told jurors Brand's 'tactics' were varied, saying sometimes he would 'tell women what they wanted to hear'.
'Sometimes he might have made sexual advances within minutes of meeting them, but every time he had identified his target, identified someone young and impressionable, he was intent on trying to fulfil his sexual desire,' she said.
'After the event, he would appear indifferent, normal, untroubled by what had occurred, sometimes leaving promptly after it, sometimes making an excuse to get away or sometimes simply continuing to act as though nothing wrong had happened.
'He cared not who the woman was or what state she was left in or how he had left her feeling. Uppermost in his mind was his insatiable desire to get what he wanted with whomever he wanted it from.'
Brand's career background
Brand started out as a stand-up comedian and his showbiz career took off when he was picked to front Big Brother spin-off shows on Channel 4.
The Essex-born entertainer became one of Britain's best-known comedians in the 2000s and presented the 2007 Brit Awards, Comic Relief and the MTV Music Video Awards and hosted his own show on BBC Radio 2.
He made the move into Hollywood films with roles including an Arthur remake, comedy Get Him To The Greek, and 2012 musical comedy Rock Of Ages. In recent years, he has moved into podcasting and online influencing, and now lives in Florida in the United States.
The trial continues.
