Russell Brand rape trial: defence says media 'poisoned the wells' at Southwark Crown Court
Brand's barrister told jurors that a Channel 4 documentary and press coverage prompted complainants to come forward years after the alleged incidents.
Brand's defence blames media coverage for triggering rape allegations
Journalists "poisoned the well of justice" by prompting complainants to bring criminal allegations against Russell Brand, jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard on Monday, independent.ie reports.
Ian Winter KC, Brand's defence barrister, made the claim in his closing speech, arguing that a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary and articles published in the Times and Sunday Times in 2023 "caused people who had not previously considered it to be appropriate to bring criminal allegations against him, to do so, and very many years after."
Brand faces seven counts in total: three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
'Living a highly promiscuous life is entirely lawful'
Addressing jurors directly, Winter said that "living a highly promiscuous life is entirely lawful." He challenged the jury's ability to be certain that, "out of the many, many women who voluntarily had sex with Mr Brand, that he raped just three of them."
Winter described it as an "extremely curious feature" of the case that Brand "obviously genuinely believed that they were consenting, because that's the only thing that would explain why his behaviour was normal." He added there was "no evidence he is some sort of psychopath who rapes people and thinks it's normal."
Referring to one allegation dating to 1999, Winter told jurors: "You would have to be a psychopath" to be raping someone while simultaneously "asking if they were enjoying it." He further argued that Brand had left the complainant his email address and a photograph, and had kissed her goodbye — conduct he said was incompatible with the behaviour of a rapist.
Dispatches documentary 'very one-sided', judge directed
Winter reminded jurors that the trial judge had directed them that the Channel 4 Dispatches programme was "very one-sided" and "produced in a dramatic manner." He said the documentary was "published without a single journalist ever speaking to Mr Brand about it other than to protect their defamation risk."
The barrister argued that Brand was innocent of the allegations made within the programme itself, and that it had "poisoned the well in respect of things of which Mr Brand is innocent." He characterised the six complainants as "not random," contending they were "thoroughly contaminated by the programme."
Hospital barred Brand from son's bedside, jury told
Winter cited what he called a "graphic" example of the "truly devastating effect" of the media coverage on Brand: a hospital had refused to allow him to visit his baby son's bedside following life-saving open heart surgery. Brand had previously told jurors that Great Ormond Street Hospital denied him access due to "material that had been published in the public eye."
Winter told the jury that the episode illustrated "the extent to which public opinion has … corrupted."
Wife's loyalty cited in defence closing
Brand's barrister also pointed to the testimony of Brand's wife Laura in support of his case. "She fell in love with that man in full knowledge of what he was doing," Winter said. "She married him, she bore him three children." He argued she would not have done so if Brand were "guilty as charged."
Winter acknowledged that Brand "had an immense amount of sex" but maintained "none of it was unlawful." He told jurors that questions of taste or morality were "irrelevant to your consideration."
Brand arrived at court on Monday accompanied by his wife Laura and her father Bernard Gallacher, the former professional golfer and Ryder Cup winner.
The trial at Southwark Crown Court continues.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)