Senior Crown Prosecutor David Roberts stated that Russell Brand was an "opportunistic predator," detailing the case against the comedian in an episode of the Daily Mail's The Trial podcast. Roberts, who led the prosecution, emphasized that the case was not simply a matter of "he said, she said."
Brand, 51, was found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault, while being cleared of two further counts of rape and one of attempted indecent assault. The prosecutor met with each of the six women who provided evidence to prepare them for court, and the case took over a year to piece together.
"Our prosecution case is that he was a manipulative predator," Roberts told the podcast. "None of these instances were really planned. He didn't plot them out. They were almost a spur of the moment. There was an opportunity to override these women's consent in these particular instances, and he took that as an opportunistic predator."
Brand was convicted of raping a 21-year-old fan in 2009 after meeting her at one of his shows in west London. He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting three other women.
Roberts explained that prosecutors were able to build a strong case by utilizing material Brand himself had generated throughout his career, including his books, stand-up shows, and podcasts. A dedicated police officer reviewed this content to support the prosecution's narrative. Additionally, evidence from individuals who knew Brand in 1999 provided insight into his attitudes at the time, helping to bolster the case.
"That's how we are able a lot of times to prosecute these non-recent allegations, not by just thinking: it's a case of one word against another," Roberts said.
The Metropolitan Police has stated that its investigation into Brand is ongoing. Roberts expressed hope that convictions like Brand's would encourage more victims of sexual crimes to come forward, assuring them that their allegations would be taken seriously.
"I'd hope these sort of convictions do show that there are very good, professional, experienced, specialist police officers and prosecutors who can proceed with prosecutions against anyone, whether it's an A-list celebrity movie star like Russell Brand or anyone else on the street," Roberts added.