Russell Brand Called "Ruthless" In Opening Statement At Rape Trial
Opening statements have begun in Russell Brand’s London rape trial, with prosecutors accusing the British comedian of treating sexual encounters with women as a game. Brand is facing seven charges involving six women between 1999 and 2009: one count of indecent assault, three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. In her opening statement, lead prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones described Brand as “a flirt with a huge sexual appetite.” Karmy-Jones told the court that the "ruthless and calculated” Brand saw women as “simply a means to an end.” The prosecutor also alleged that Brand would act as though nothing had happened after assaults, sometimes leaving abruptly or refusing to discuss the incidents again. The six women say they came forward independently and did not know one another. Prosecutors argue their accounts describe similar patterns of behavior. “Six women, separate women, different allegations,” Karmy-Jones said. “When you hear them I have no doubt that you will find their evidence compelling.”
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The British comedian, 51, was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
