LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) – British comedian Russell Brand was found guilty on Thursday of rape and three sexual assaults.
Here are details of his convictions.
RAPE – COMPLAINANT FIVE
The fifth complainant in the trial said she had met Brand in 2009 after one of his gigs, saying she and her friend had been ‘selected’ to come for a drink afterwards. She said she had then engaged in a sexual encounter with him and another woman she did not know in his dressing room.
Brand contacted her afterwards and she agreed to go to his home. Whilst they were having consensual sex, she said he flipped her over and anally raped her, removing a condom in the process.
Afterwards, she said he looked horrified and she thought he was going to apologise, but instead he said to her, “You need to clear up the mess.”
Some months later she said she happened to see him at the Edinburgh Festival where she was working and he sent her a text message. She replied he had “treated her like an animal”. His immediate response was “I’m sorry”, she said.
Brand was convicted of rape.
SEXUAL ASSAULT – COMPLAINANT THREE
A woman said she had been at a party at a London bar in 2004 and had asked a colleague to introduce her to Brand as she thought he was funny.
She told the jury that less than a minute after they began talking at the bar he lunged forward and grabbed her breasts. She said he had a weird grin on his face.
He then grabbed her arm and pulled her into the toilets saying “come on, come on, don’t be a spoilsport”. Once there she said he forced her to give him oral sex.
The jury convicted Brand of sexual assault but not of rape.
SEXUAL ASSAULT – COMPLAINANT FOUR
The incident took place sometime in 2004 or 2005 when the woman was working at a radio station in London.
She told the jury she had left a room where she was working when outside Brand, in front of his entourage, had grabbed her, pushed her up against the wall and started kissing her.
She said he had groped her, grabbing her breasts so hard that it caused pain, and she had been unable to push him off. When she finally managed to get away she said he just sniggered.
He was found guilty of sexual assault.
SEXUAL ASSAULT – COMPLAINANT SIX
The final woman said she had been working on a project for Britain’s Channel 4 with Brand when the incident occurred. She said Brand had become increasingly irritated as the day wore on and his associates told her he would only continue if she gave him a massage.
She thought initially it was a joke but agreed to do so to get the job completed. She said he had thrust his head into her groin area so that she could feel his breath on her.
He was found guilty of sexual assault.
Brand was acquitted of two charges of rape relating to complainants one and three, and of one charge of attempted indecent assault relating to complainant two. He had denied all the charges.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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