WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

Russell Brand allegedly stripped to the waist and performed comical walks “like Basil Fawlty” before raping a woman he met at the Labour Party conference, a court has heard. Brand, 51, is on trial and denies all charges against him.

The prosecution described the comedian as ruthless, calculated, manipulative and a sexual predator who exploited women to satisfy his “enormous sexual appetite,” and who allegedly sexually abused those who tried to rebuff his advances.

Prosecutors argue Brand used humour and charisma in his pursuit of sex, harbouring a “child-like expectation that his every desire should be met.” Southwark Crown Court was told Brand is charged with raping a woman he met after she attended his cabaret performance on the outskirts of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth.

The Alleged Hotel Room Encounter

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC told jurors the woman initially believed Brand was homosexual and invited him back to her hotel room to continue their conversation. She alleges he emerged from the bathroom shirtless and “was prancing around the room, a bit like an ostrich, doing silly walks like Basil Fawlty.”

The prosecutor said: “She was taken aback, she was shocked and she didn’t really know what to do — and in her words she froze a bit. She asked him why he had taken his clothes off, and he said something along the lines of ‘It’s OK, it’s just how I am, don’t worry… I’m mostly naked at home’.”

The woman claimed that when they first met after the show, Brand was “polite, courteous and complimentary about her,” describing him as having a “gentlemanly way.” She assumed he was gay, as he gave no indication of being attracted to her, Ms Karmy-Jones said. The prosecutor told the jury Brand would try to make women laugh and show interest in their causes in his pursuit of sex.

Later in the hotel room, the woman claims she took photographs of a topless Brand at his request before he “pushed her onto the bed.” The court heard: “She remembers the weight of him on top of her, she couldn’t move, and was finding it hard to breathe, but recalls trying not to let him kiss her, and saying ‘no’.”

The prosecutor said the woman recalled Brand’s tongue feeling “like a lizard” as he raped her. Afterwards, she says Brand “behaved as if nothing had happened” and suggested his mother would like to meet her.

Flatmate’s Claims

Brand’s flatmate at the time, Mark Pinheiro, claims Brand was “desperate” to have sex as they headed to the Labour Party conference in 1999, jurors heard. “He found a victim, engaged with her, told her ‘exactly what she needed to hear’, and then manipulated the situation so as to have sex with her,” said Ms Karmy-Jones.

The court heard Mr Pinheiro claim Brand called himself “a ladies’ man” and an “expert pick-up artist” on the way to the conference, and said he “wanted to bed 5,000 women in his lifetime.” Mr Pinheiro also claims Brand returned to their flat after the alleged rape, telling them to “pack up their stuff” because they “had to leave town immediately.”

Ms Karmy-Jones stated: “Once in the car, the defendant behaved oddly, shrinking down in the back seat to hide his head beneath the window. When pressed about where he had been the night before, and why they had to leave so abruptly, he said he had forgotten he had an audition.”

The Charges

Brand faces seven alleged offences — three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault. He denies all the charges.

Prosecutors claim the comedian-turned-podcaster possessed an “indiscriminate and voracious” appetite for sex, exploiting his wit and charisma on women he encountered. Ms Karmy-Jones branded him a “ruthless, calculated, and manipulative” sexual predator who displayed behaviour that was “child-like in his expectation that his every desire should be met.”

A woman alleges he once attempted to force her into a toilet cubicle, the court was told. The prosecutor said she had praised his “I Am Spartacus” T-shirt before the alleged incident in 2001.

Ms Karmy-Jones explained the women contacted police after seeing media coverage about Brand. When questioned by officers, Brand provided prepared statements and maintained that all sexual encounters with women had been consensual.

Brand’s Career and Background

The comedian, originally from Essex, was once a mainstay of UK media, hosting shows on Channel 4 and leading his own programme on BBC Radio 2. He has presented the Brit Awards, Comic Relief and the MTV Music Video Awards, and landed lead roles in Hollywood films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Rock of Ages and Arthur.

Brand, who has moved into podcasting in recent years, now resides in Florida and was joined in court by his wife, Laura Gallacher. The trial continues.