Russell Brand "sniggered" after kissing and groping a woman while members of his entourage watched on and did nothing to help her, a court has heard.
The comedian is accused of rapes and sexual assaults against six women during his rise to fame and showbiz career in TV and Hollywood films. Prosecutors say he was a "sexual predator" who ignored the wishes of women in his "indiscriminate" pursuit of sexual conquests.
Radio Station Incident
A woman who encountered Brand at a radio station in the mid-2000s said she recognised him from his work on Channel 4's Big Brother spin-off shows. She says Brand "grabbed her by the face with both hands" before he "pushed her up against a wall, where he kissed her sloppily and aggressively", prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC told the court.
"She remembers it being very wet. During this assault he also grabbed her body, at her breasts, sides and buttocks aggressively. She tried to push him off, but he was too strong and he continued to kiss her on her face, and down her neck and onto her chest area, grabbing her bum, moving his mouth towards her cleavage, grabbing her breast so hard that it was painful. It was rough, fast and frenzied."
The woman said she looked to members of Brand's entourage, "hoping they would intervene", but she claims they took no action. "She finally managed to push him away, saying words to him to the effect of 'f*** off'", added Ms Karmy-Jones. "Mr Brand stumbled backwards at that final push and just sniggered – like it was a joke."
Alleged Soho Bar Assault
Brand – who denies all the charges – is accused of being "ruthless, calculated and manipulative" in his pursuit of women, and then treating them like they "meant nothing to him" after the sexual encounters. "Perhaps he found their protestations amusing, funny?", suggested Ms Karmy-Jones, of the radio station incident. "Funny as a display for his friends. The other men who were with him also joined in the laughter."
She said the woman was left feeling "dirty and disgusting", and "in complete disbelief that not one of the people with Mr Brand had tried to help her or to stop it".
Another alleged victim said Brand "lunged" at her and grabbed her breasts when they were talking about Big Brother in a Soho bar in July 2004. "She was shocked and remembers that he had a 'big, weird grin' on his face as he did so", said Ms Karmy-Jones. "Mr Brand then grabbed her arm and held her quite strongly and pulled her into the lavatory, the toilets, which were close to the bar, just behind and to the side of where Mr Brand was standing."
The woman says Brand orally raped her in the toilet, despite her saying "I don't want to do this". "He just said 'Oh come on don't be a spoil sport, you want to' or something along those lines", said the prosecutor.
Other Allegations and Trial
The woman said she "froze and didn't know what to do" during the incident, and when released by Brand she "started banging on the door". "Her hands were shaking and she couldn't get the lock open, and she remembers a man's voice on the other side of the door saying 'are you OK?'. Mr Brand just left."
Brand is accused of raping a woman at the 1999 Labour Party conference after they met at a fringe cabaret event, and he is accused of trying to pull an MTV worker into a toilet after she complimented his "I am Spartacus" t-shirt.
Brand denies any incidents of non-consensual sex and has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault. The trial continues.
