Russell Brand Trial: Prosecutor Calls Him a Predator
A jury of twelve heard the prosecution's opening speech in London. The comedian faces seven counts covering 1999 to 2009 and denies all of them.
Russell Brand (51), the British comedian and actor, is standing trial before a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London. On Wednesday, October 14, the prosecution set out its case in an opening speech. Brand denies every charge.
The jury was sworn in by October 13. Prosecutor Ril Karmi-Dzouns told the jurors that the defendant was a “predator who targeted young and vulnerable women”. The alleged acts, she said, took place in several settings: hotel rooms, television studios and bar toilets.
What is Brand charged with?
The indictment has seven counts: three rapes, three sexual assaults and one indecent assault. Six women made the complaints. They cover the period from 1999 to 2009. Brand denies all seven counts.
What did the prosecution tell the jury?
According to the prosecution, Brand raped a woman in a hotel room in 1999, during a Labour Party conference. Afterward, the prosecutor alleges, he behaved as if nothing had happened.
A second allegation dates from 2001. According to the prosecution, a woman who worked for the television channel MTV says Brand grabbed her by the hand and tried to force her into a men’s toilet. These are claims from an opening speech, not evidence tested before the jury.
The prosecution also addressed why all of this is being heard only now. The women, it said, did not report the incidents to police earlier, for personal reasons. They came forward after media reports and a documentary broadcast in 2023.
Who is hearing the case, and how long will it last?
The jury is made up of eight men and four women. As a precaution, a reserve juror was also appointed and followed the prosecutor’s opening speech. The trial is expected to last about six weeks.
Judge Joel Benatan presides. He told the jurors to rely only on what they hear in court and to ignore earlier media coverage. He specifically warned them not to research the defendant’s past on their own. He then told them:
“God knows what’s out there. If you want, you can go and look, but only once you have delivered your verdicts.”
How did Brand arrive at court?
On Tuesday, October 13, Brand appeared outside the court building in central London shortly after nine in the morning. He arrived with only a personal security guard. The day before, on Monday, October 12, he was accompanied by his wife, Lora Galaher.
To the reporters gathered outside, he said only: “Blessed, thank you very much.”
