Russell Brand Rape Trial Opens in London as Prosecutors Allege 'Ruthless' Predator

Russell Brand went on trial at Southwark Crown Court in London this week, accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault against six women over a decade from 1999 to 2009. The 51-year-old actor and comedian has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges and denies any non-consensual sexual activity.In her opening statement, Crown prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC described Brand as a "ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator" whose desire for sexual contact was "indiscriminate and voracious." She told the jury of eight men and four women that the six complainants did not know one another and came forward independently, with alleged offences taking place in a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle, a bar and his home. The court heard Brand declined to answer police questions but provided written statements saying he did not remember the alleged incidents and that accusers' accounts may have been "re-imagined."Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC, challenged the evidence of the first prosecution witness, Mark Pinheiro, as inconsistent. Winter will set out the defence case later in the trial, which is being heard by Justice Joel Bennathan and is expected to run for at least six weeks. Arriving at court with his wife, Laura Gallacher, Brand told reporters he felt "blessed" and "hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody involved."