Russell Brand's Accusers Were 'Haunted' for Years, Prosecutor Says

The women alleging rape and sexual assault against Russell Brand have been "haunted" for years by the alleged crimes, a prosecutor told jurors at London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday.

Prosecutor Reil Karmy-Jones KC stated that the women have "nothing to gain" from coming forward, other than "some closure." She added that the complainants' evidence suggested Brand exhibited a "personality change," transforming from charming to frightening and nasty, and that he did not stop when they said no.

"In the rape cases, he kept on going until he achieved his ultimate aim," Karmy-Jones KC told the court. She dismissed the idea that a documentary had caused the women to "re-invent" their experiences, asserting that the women realized they were not alone and "bravely" came forward to tell the truth about experiences that "in some cases has haunted them for years."

Brand, 51, denies seven charges: three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of attempted indecent assault. The prosecutor noted that while Brand may now be a "completely different person" and treat women with kindness and consent, this does not negate the alleged events between 1999 and 2009.

Defense counsel Polly Dyer informed the court that Brand pleaded guilty to cannabis possession in 1995 and was fined, but has no other convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings. Brand's wife, Laura, testified that her husband is a "kind and a wonderful father," though Karmy-Jones KC pointed out that she was not with him during the times many of the alleged acts took place.

The court heard that the six women involved in the case do not know each other and have been forced to relive their experiences due to the trial. Karmy-Jones KC emphasized that none of the women sought the limelight or publicity, suggesting they had no benefit from coming forward apart from "some closure."