Russell Brand rape trial hears prosecution’s case as first witness is challenged

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC opened the case against Russell Brand at Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday, alleging that he was a “sexual predator” who assaulted six women over a decade. Brand has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. The prosecutor’s description is an allegation for the jury to assess, not a finding by the court. [1] [5]

Brand, 51, faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. The alleged offences span 1999 to 2009. The Crown Prosecution Service announced five charges involving four women in April 2025, then two further charges involving two other women that December. Brand also denied those later charges at a hearing in February. [2] [3] [6]

Karmy-Jones told jurors that the women did not know one another and had come forward independently. Outlining the prosecution’s case, she described Brand as “ruthless”, “calculating” and “manipulative”. The BBC reported that Brand told police he had never engaged in sexual activity without consent. [1] [5]

The first witness, Brand’s former flatmate Mark Pinheiro, told the jury that Brand had said he might have gone a “bit too far” with a woman during a trip to the Labour Party conference in 1999. Brand is accused of raping a woman during that trip. Under cross-examination, his lawyer, Ian Winter KC, questioned Pinheiro’s recollection and why he had not mentioned the episode to a journalist in 2023 or given police a detailed account in an initial conversation in 2025. Pinheiro maintained that he remembered Brand’s words. [1] [4]

Jury selection began on Monday and jurors were sworn in on Tuesday. Wednesday’s opening statement and witness testimony brought the allegations before them for consideration; the trial is continuing. [7] [1]