Russell Brand's rape trial was interrupted again on Friday, October 30, a day after his wife Laura Gallacher was hurriedly escorted from the courtroom after taking the stand. A member of the public watching from the gallery fell asleep and began "snoring loudly," drawing the attention of those around them. The person had to be "nudged" awake by someone else after interrupting proceedings with the noise.
Prosecution Closing Argument
The interruption came as the jury heard that complainant number five was made to feel "grubby" and "dirty" during the alleged rape. Brand is on trial accused of seven charges related to six different women, including three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of attempted indecent assault between 1999 and 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges.
Prosecutor Ms Riel Karmy-Jones KC said in her closing argument: "All he cared about was getting his birthright orgasm," quoting a phrase from Brand's 2007 autobiography My Booky Wook. She went on to claim Brand saw the complainant as "just a hole, just another number to add to his 5,000 notches which he was marking up."
Wife's Testimony and Courtroom Disruption
The latest disruption comes a day after Brand's wife Laura Gallacher was rushed out of the courtroom where she was giving evidence. Brand's lawyer Ian Winter KC asked: "What is your view as to the truth of the allegations?", but was interrupted by the judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, who said "No, no, no," pointing out that Gallacher is not an expert witness. Winter then asked: "What is your view as to his character?", prompting lead prosecutor Karmy-Jones KC to interrupt, saying: "No... that is wholly unacceptable."
Gallacher and the jury were then quickly ushered out of the courtroom, with security guard Joe McCann following Gallacher. Brand and Gallacher first met at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006, dating briefly before splitting in 2007. They rekindled their romance in 2015.
Gallacher's Evidence
Gallacher said she knew that 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."
Court has now wrapped up for the week, with the defence's closing argument expected on Monday morning.
