Russell Brand's barrister, Ian Winter, KC, argued in his closing defense speech that the actor is not a "psychopath that rapes people and thinks that is normal." Winter urged jurors to question the credibility of the accusers, suggesting that their accounts of sexual assault were inconsistent with a lack of significant resistance.
Winter questioned why the alleged victims did not "scream, kick, slap him or accuse him of rape" during the incidents. He also pointed to the timing of the allegations, suggesting that the women only came forward after negative publicity surrounding Brand, particularly after a Channel 4 Dispatches program in 2023, had "poisoned the well" of public opinion. He asked the jury if they could be sure that Brand raped only three women over a decade, given his "highly promiscuous" lifestyle.
"Not one person made a complaint of rape to him. There does not seem to be a credible reason why not," Winter told the jury, adding that it was "inexplicable" that an alleged victim from 2005 kept silent for years.
Brand denies all charges, which include three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of attempted indecent assault. His defense suggested that Brand may have genuinely believed the encounters were consensual, or that he acted as a "crazy idiot" who treated women "unkindly" but did not commit rape.
During the trial, Brand was accompanied to court by his wife, Laura, and his father-in-law, Bernard Gallacher, a Ryder Cup-winning golfer.
The defense also argued that Brand's behavior, such as leaving an email address with an alleged victim, was inconsistent with that of a rapist. Winter suggested that Brand was seeking "approbation and adoration" rather than committing sexual offenses.
The trial continues.