Russell Brand rape and sexual assault trial begins at Southwark Crown Court

Comedian Russell Brand, 51, appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London as jury selection began in his trial on seven charges involving six women.

Brand faces seven charges as London rape trial gets under way

Comedian and actor Russell Brand appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday for the start of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, rte.ie reports.

The 51-year-old faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges relate to alleged offences involving six women between 1999 and 2009.

Brand has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. Jury selection was expected to begin on Monday morning.

The trial is being overseen by High Court judge Mr Justice Bennathan and could last up to ten weeks.

Brand appeared at the same court last Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing, accompanied by his wife Laura Gallacher.

The Essex-born entertainer first came to public attention as a stand-up comedian before presenting Channel 4's Big Brother spin-off shows and hosting programmes on BBC Radio 2. He subsequently appeared in a number of Hollywood films, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Arthur and Rock of Ages.

In more recent years, Brand shifted his focus to podcasting and online content creation. He now lives in Florida.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)