Russell Brand guilty of rape | The Trial of Russell Brand

Manveen (0:12)

Hi, it's Manveen. After a three week trial, Russell Brand has been found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and one count of rape. The judge at Southern Crown Court has said that Brand would be sentenced to significant custodial time. He's now been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday.

Ros Urwin from The Sunday Times and Charlotte Wace, investigative correspondent at The Times, the team who originally brought separate allegations about Russell Brand to light in 2023, have been speaking to our very own Luke Jones in the latest unmissable episode of our podcast series, The Trial of Russell Brand.

Luke Jones (1:03)

Russell Brand is a convicted rapist and tonight he is in custody. The judge said he can expect a significant custodial term. Of the seven counts he was facing, the jury today found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. From The Times and The Sunday Times, this is The Trial of Russell Brand. I'm Luke Jones. It is the 5th of November and this is Day 19, verdict day.

Back with me in the studio, Rosamund Urwin, Chief News Correspondent for The Sunday Times and Charlotte Wace, Investigations Correspondent for The Times. How are you feeling?

Rosamund Urwin (1:41)

Well, it was a big day. It was a lot emotionally and we have a lot to write.

Luke Jones (1:48)

A lot to discuss. Let's talk about what was happening in court. Obviously, the jury we know were deliberating for about eight and a half hours and there was this moment, Ros, you were in the corridor with me outside the courtroom, where all of a sudden the tannoy, all parties concerned with Russell Brand, please come to court three and everyone leapt to their feet. What happened from then?

Rosamund Urwin (2:05)

Well, the thing is you don't know if it's actually just a question at that point. So the jury can ask questions to the judge if they need legal guidance. There were lots of things it could have been, but obviously, it's a classic thing that cases come back straight after lunch and it was straight after lunch. And so there was an anticipation and then a sort of ripple went around the room that this was actually the verdict.

Luke Jones (2:24)

Yes. Let's go through all of the counts then.

Woman one, who we've been referring to us throughout the alleged rape in Bournemouth in 1999 after Russell Brand performed at a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth. How did they find that?

Rosamund Urwin (2:38)

Not guilty.

Luke Jones (2:39)

Woman two, a charge of attempted indecent assault from 2001, allegedly grabbed a woman's arm and tried to drag her into the men's toilets at the offices of MTV.

Charlotte Wace (2:48)

That was not guilty.

Luke Jones (2:49)

Woman three, a charge of sexual assault. He was alleged to have grabbed her breasts at a party in central London in 2004

Rosamund Urwin (2:56)

Guilty.

Luke Jones (2:57)

The charge of oral rape, also pertaining to woman three, dragged the same woman into the toilets at the same party in central London in 2004

Charlotte Wace (3:05)

Not guilty.

Luke Jones (3:06)

Woman four, an allegation of sexual assault whilst working for Choice FM in 2004-2005, Russell Brand met her in a confined space and kissed and groped her.

Manveen (3:16)

Guilty.

Luke Jones (3:17)

Woman five, an allegation of anal rape at his house in 2009

Charlotte Wace (3:21)

Guilty.

Luke Jones (3:22)

And woman six, an allegation of sexual assault whilst working on a project for Channel 4, Russell Brand put his head into her crotch.

Manveen (3:30)

Guilty.

Luke Jones (3:32)

Now, throughout, we've introduced you both by your job titles. One thing that we haven't said when we've invariably discussed the 2023 media reporting as it's come up in court is that that media reporting was you two. You led the way on that back in 2023 How do you feel today about all that, Ros?

Rosamund Urwin (3:48)

Well, I started on this investigation back in January 2019

I had two children in the time it took us to publish. So there were serious periods that obviously I wasn't perhaps doing quite as much on this investigation. And I did my day job on the side. So it was a long, long road to publication. And there were many moments at which I thought we'd probably never reach the evidential threshold that we needed to publish.

And this day is a really, really important day for all of the people who spoke to us. And I obviously predominantly mean the women, but I also mean all the generous people who took my calls, because lots of people didn't, who passed on messages to people. So many people helped. So many more people didn't help. But I just want to say that there are a huge number of people who helped on this. And lots of young men, as well as lots of women. So it wasn't just one group of people. And I am so grateful to all of them, because this day is for all of them. There were so many people who were concerned about his behavior and had heard things. And they felt it was a moral duty to pass it on. And they did, I would very categorically say the right thing. So this day is for them too. I'm incredibly grateful to every single person who spoke to me and helped me.