Pop star Katy Perry may have been in the room during one of Russell Brand's alleged assaults, according to legal arguments presented ahead of his trial. A defense lawyer claimed that the victim stated other people witnessed Brand place his head in her lap during filming for Channel 4.
Ian Winter KC, representing Brand, argued that Katy Perry, who later became Brand's wife, might have been among those present in 2009. However, Scotland Yard did not seek a statement from the singer, who was 42 at the time of the reporting. The reference to Perry's potential presence was subsequently removed from trial proceedings after submissions from Brand's legal team.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC agreed to remove any mention of Perry, stating, "For the avoidance of doubt, the prosecution recognise that matters post-2009 involving his relationship with Katy Perry may be sensitive, as may his previous faiths, and we are content to remove these."
Perry and Brand met in 2009 on the set of "Get Him To The Greek" and married in India the following year. Their marriage lasted 14 months before they divorced in 2012. Jurors were also prevented from hearing details of Brand's past struggles with addiction before his conversion to Christianity.
Senior Crown prosecutor David Roberts asserted that all reasonable lines of inquiry relevant to the specific charges had been covered.