Russell Brand – latest updates: Katherine Ryan says she feels ‘grief and relief’ after comic convicted

The disgraced comic’s past religious interests, his baptism in the River Thames, details about his drug use and alcoholism and the fact he received treatment at a sex addiction clinic were also not brought up.

Prosecutors agreed not to bring up Brand’s past religious interests, prior to his conversion to Christianity in the last two years. His newly discovered belief is now the centrepiece of his podcast and online content, with Brand also seen praying in the dock throughout his trial.

Brand and Perry were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in India in 2010. In legal submissions before the trial began, prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC set out: “The prosecution recognise that matters post 2009 involving his relationship with Katy Perry may be sensitive, as may his previous faiths, and we are content to remove these from the opening.”

She also agreed to remove mention of Brand’s baptism in the River Thames in Henley in 2024, in a ceremony that was attended by TV presenter Bear Grylls.

In pre-trial arguments, that can be published now the case is over, it was revealed that details of Brand’s drug use and alcoholism would not feature in the case. The prosecution wanted to rely on Brand’s “dependency” on drink and drugs, but defence barrister Ian Winter KC objected to the argument being ventured.

“Putting aside the illogicality of the suggestion that dependency issues mean he would engage in non-consensual sex, none of the complainants assert that Mr Brand was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their encounters with him”, he told the judge.

Brand’s former assistant Helen Berger was allowed to give evidence of Brand’s “insane sexual appetite”, but her statement was edited to omit her assumption that he had a sex addiction, as well as reference to Brand’s past treatment at a sex addiction clinic.