The key facts
- Brand rejected all seven charges relating to the alleged incidents of 1999–2009
- He described the impact of the 2023 documentary as 'devastating'
- He said he had been unable to persuade a single acquaintance to testify in his favour
The defence begins at Southwark Crown Court
Russell Brand, 51, has begun giving evidence in his own defence at Southwark Crown Court in London after the prosecution finished presenting its case. As BBC News reports, he faces three charges of rape, three of sexual assault and one of attempted indecent assault. The statements of six women cover a ten-year period from 1999 to 2009; Brand denies all the charges. Asked by defence barrister Ian Winter whether he had committed the acts alleged against him, Brand answered loudly with a 'no' after each question, addressing the jury.
Testimony about the documentary and its consequences
The defence asked Brand about the 2023 documentary containing allegations about his behaviour. He said the impact of the film and the subsequent distancing of friends and colleagues had been 'devastating'. He also confirmed that he had been unable to persuade a single friend or acquaintance who might speak in his favour to appear in court; asked by the barrister whether people he knew were avoiding him, Brand answered in the affirmative. He further stated that after the film and a newspaper investigation he was not allowed to be with his son at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where the child was undergoing open-heart surgery; according to him, the hospital cited the published material without specifying any legal basis. Brand added that 'his entire life had been consumed by these allegations'.
Answers on the substance of the charges
Turning to the first allegation, Brand confirmed that he had met the complainant, who claims he raped her at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999, and described her as 'chatty' and 'interesting', but denied that the rape allegation was justified. Asked about the importance of consent, he replied that consent is 'fundamental, essential and in many ways more important than the sex itself'. The trial continues; its progress can be followed in the podcast BBC's 'Russell Brand on Trial', available on BBC Sounds.
Image source, Press Association 
