Russell Brand a ‘ruthless sexual predator’, prosecutors allege as rape trial opens

Warning: Graphic content

London: Actor and comedian Russell Brand was a “ruthless” predator who was obsessed with sexual conquest and told friends of his aim to sleep with 5000 women over his lifetime, a court heard on the opening day of his trial on rape and assault charges.

A crown prosecutor told jurors that Brand could be funny and charming but was also “childlike” in demanding what he wanted, leading one woman to tell him he had treated her like an animal.

Brand, 51, faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. He denies all the charges and has insisted he never engaged in non-consensual sex.

The jury heard graphic statements about the allegations in the opening of the prosecution case at Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday (UK time).

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told the court that the six women at the heart of the case did not know each other and would give evidence about being assaulted by Brand between 1999 and 2009.

“He was ruthless, he was calculating, he was manipulative. And, the prosecution say, he was a sexual predator,” Karmy-Jones said.

The prosecutor said Brand was not deterred regardless of what the women said or did to try to stop him.

“His desire, strong desire, for some form of sexual contact was indiscriminate and voracious,” she told the jury.

Karmy-Jones outlined the allegations from the six women before calling the first witness, a former friend of the actor.

The first complainant, said the prosecutor, met Brand in 1999 when he did a show in Bournemouth and she was in the audience. She was in her 20s, thought Brand was gay and was flattered by his interest in her.

Later, in her hotel room, the prosecutor said, she grew scared when Brand forced himself upon her and raped her.

Karmy-Jones said the woman was left “in shock” and crying because she felt “dirty and stupid” and did not know what to do.

The second complainant alleges Brand tried to force her into a toilet in 2001 by grabbing her arm with a “desperate wild-eyed look” on his face. She managed to drag herself out of his grip, the prosecutor said.

The third complainant alleges she was at a party in 2004 when Brand pulled her into a toilet by grabbing her arm. He forced her to perform oral sex, holding her head, the court heard.

Afterwards, the prosecutor said, the woman was in complete shock: “She also recalls walking around in a daze, thinking, ‘What just happened? What do I do?’”

The woman also alleges she was in a car with Brand and two men when the actor exposed himself to her. She rejected his advance but felt ashamed and blamed herself for what had occurred, the prosecutor said.

The fourth complainant alleges Brand pushed her up against a wall and began kissing her at her workplace when she was working in broadcasting in 2004 or 2005.

“During this assault he also grabbed her body, her breasts, her sides and her buttocks aggressively,” the prosecutor said. The woman tried to stop him, but he was too strong. Another woman who saw this happen did nothing to help, the court was told, and this complainant managed to push Brand away.

The fifth complainant alleges she met Brand when he performed at a show in London in 2009. The court heard that she was 21 at the time and had consensual sex with Brand in his dressing room after the show.

At a later occasion at Brand’s home in London, the prosecutor said, the complainant had consensual sex with the actor – but he then “flipped” her over and had anal sex “with full force” without consent.

“In her words, she hated herself for what had happened,” the prosecutor said.

The woman alleges that when Brand texted her the following year and said he wanted to “push” her further, she replied by text: “I think you pushed me far enough – you treated me like an animal.”

The sixth complainant alleges she was working in broadcasting in 2009 when Brand approached her and members of his team said he required a massage. The complainant alleges he fell to his knees in front of her with his face pressed to her groin, so she could feel his breath on her genitals.

The prosecutor told the court that the woman “froze” but later pushed her fingertips into Brand’s shoulders and said he was “really bony” – a remark that ended the incident by making his team members laugh.

Brand, dressed in a dark suit, arrived at the court with his wife, Laura. In police interviews ahead of the trial, he denied ever engaging in non-consensual sexual activity.

Speaking briefly to reporters outside the court on Wednesday, Brand said he felt “blessed”.

“I feel, of course, concerned, but hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody involved,” Brand said. “That’s my prayer.”

Those making sexual assault accusations have the right to anonymity under British law. This masthead seeks to avoid reporting details that might identify witnesses in the trial.

With AP

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

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