Russell Brand case: Jury begins deliberations after 3-week-long trial
What's the story
The jury has commenced deliberations in the rape and sexual assault trial of comedian Russell Brand. The proceedings took place on Tuesday after Judge Joel Bennathan spent the morning summarizing key evidence from the three-week-long trial, reported Sky News. Brand faces multiple charges, including three counts of sexual assault, three counts of rape, and one count of attempted indecent assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges.
Court proceedings
Jury told to deliberate only after reviewing most evidence
Before sending the jury off, Judge Bennathan reviewed most of the evidence presented during the trial.
He emphasized that they could only accept a unanimous verdict from all 12 jurors.
The charges against Brand are based on allegations made by six women, involving incidents that occurred between 1999 and 2009.
The identities of these women remain undisclosed due to legal protections for sexual assault accusers in the UK.
Trial details
Brand's defense during trial
The allegations range from one woman claiming Brand dragged her into a bathroom and orally raped her, to another who said she consented to vaginal sex with him before he allegedly anally raped her.
In his defense, Brand admitted to having misused his fame "very, very selfishly" but insisted all his sexual encounters were consensual.
His lawyer Ian Winter KC said in the closing arguments that the comedian is not a "psychopath who rapes people...and thinks it's normal."
Background
A look at Brand's career
Brand, 51, has been a controversial figure known for his risqué stand-up routines and battles with substance abuse.
He shot to fame in the early 2000s as a TV host and BBC radio show presenter.
He starred in Hollywood films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.
In recent years, he has distanced himself from mainstream media and built a large online following with wellness videos.