Russell Brand's former flatmate Mark Pinheiro, the first witness to testify at the comedian's trial, says he witnessed Brand carry out additional crimes and is urging other possible victims to speak out. Pinheiro, who shared accommodation with Brand in London for 16 months from 1999, says he is prepared to support women who come forward.
Witness describes alleged assault
Pinheiro alleges he once witnessed Brand, now serving 10 and a half years for rape and sexual assaults, attempt to force a woman into his bedroom against her wishes. He recalls hearing a girl shouting "Let go of me" and seeing Brand gripping her arm, trying to pull her back in like a tug of war.
"I open up my door, and I see Russell basically holding on to the girl with both of his hands, gripping hold of her arm trying to pull her back in like a tug of war. And she's wrestling herself away from him, and then as I switch the light on, the light comes on and he lets go. There's so many incidents that I can remember," Pinheiro said.
Appeal to other victims
Pinheiro appealed directly to potential victims: "If you're out there and you're listening and you want to come forward, do come forward and I will support you. I'll say it now as I said it back then, 'I saw what happened'. It's not a he-said she-said argument... there was a third party to bear witness."
His account features in the new Netflix documentary, Russell Brand: Open Secret. Pinheiro first met Brand in December 1998, and the pair worked together in a cabaret troupe. Brand lived with him from late 1999 to early 2001, and their friendship continued for years, including shared Christmas celebrations with Brand's mother, Barbara.
Later encounters and trial evidence
The friendship waned around 2010 when Brand began dating Katy Perry, with Pinheiro's final encounter during Brand's Messiah Complex tour in 2015. He recalls seeing girls queueing backstage to meet Brand, and criticised those around him for enabling the behaviour.
"They were happy to tolerate it and that's as far back as 10 years ago. I wasn't the only person who saw things. I was kind of disappointed more people didn't come forward," he said.
On November 9, Judge Mr Justice Joel Bennathan sentenced Brand for attacks on four women, including a fan he raped at his London residence, another he groped in a Soho bar, and two staff members assaulted at Choice FM and Channel 4. The assaults occurred between 2004 and 2009. Brand, 51, was acquitted of raping a woman at a Bournemouth hotel in 1999.
Pinheiro told the jury at Southwark Crown Court that Brand bragged about wanting to bed 5,000 women and frequently slept with as many as three women a week at the flat. He described Brand as a narcissist with sex addiction and a messiah complex, saying: "He enjoys manipulating people to do what he wants them to do for him and he just enjoys it. And it's a skill perfected and mastered."
At least six further alleged victims have come forward since Brand's sentencing, with prosecutors considering additional charges, several thought to stem from his time hosting Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth in 2006.
