Prosecutors told a London court on Wednesday that Russell Brand was a 'ruthless, calculated and manipulative' sexual predator, the Guardian, Reuters, the BBC and the Evening Standard reported. He first appeared in court on Monday. The New York Times reported after that hearing that he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which are for rape and sexual assault; the Mirror has published the full list. The Evening Standard reported that the court was told he laughed at women he is accused of abusing and that people around him did nothing during an alleged sexual assault at a radio station. Only the Standard carried those two details. Our sources gave no count of complainants, no timetable and no response from the defence.
A prosecution opening is a statement of what the Crown says it will prove, not evidence. The story matters because it is the most widely reported British trial of the moment, and because the public has followed the allegations for years while the court has now begun to test them.
Nothing to do. Reporting is limited to a fair and accurate account of what is said in court, so you will hear one side first and the other later. He is presumed innocent until a jury decides.
Supporters of the prosecution say serious allegations belong in open court, and that a clear opening helps the jury follow the evidence.
Defence lawyers will say an opening speech is one side's story, that the evidence must be tested and that a fair trial needs restraint in how it is reported.
Do not read a verdict into the first day. The things to watch are the witnesses, the cross-examination and any ruling from the judge on what may be reported. Until the defence case is heard, the only fair summary is that serious allegations have been made and denied.
Reuters, The Guardian, BBC, Evening Standard, Mirror, The New York Times, BBC (The Papers) · 14–15 Oct 2026
Prosecutors tell the Russell Brand trial he was a 'ruthless, calculated and manipulative' sexual predator. He is presumed innocent and has pleaded not guiltyProsecutors tell the Russell Brand trial he was a 'ruthless, calculated and manipulative' sexual predator. He is presumed innocent and has pleaded not guilty
The Crown set out its case in open court on Wednesday. What has been reported so far is the prosecution's account; none of it has been tested.
Prosecutors told a London court on Wednesday that Russell Brand was a 'ruthless, calculated and manipulative' sexual predator, according to the Guardian, which led its coverage with those words. Reuters, the BBC and the Evening Standard carried the same charge, and the BBC's review of the morning papers lists it among the front-page stories. The comedian and actor first appeared in court on Monday, as we reported on Tuesday; the BBC's Wednesday headline treats the prosecution's opening as the start of the trial, so outlets differ on when it began. The New York Times reported after Monday's hearing that Mr Brand has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which are for rape and sexual assault, and the Mirror has published the full list. The Evening Standard and the Mirror also ran explainers on the allegations and the charges, so the outline is easy to find. Under English law he is presumed innocent until a jury decides otherwise.
A prosecution opening is a statement of what the Crown says it will prove. It is not evidence, and nobody has yet questioned it. Every description of Mr Brand on this page is the prosecution's, and we report it as such. The Standard said he arrived at court looking 'concerned'. The Evening Standard reported that the court was told Mr Brand laughed at women he is accused of abusing, and that people around him did nothing during an alleged sexual assault at a radio station. We found those two details only in the Standard, so treat them as one outlet's account of the opening. Our sources gave no count of complainants and no timetable for the trial, and none carried a response from the defence, so we give neither.
The story is the most widely carried British item of the past day, with at least five outlets reporting it, and it will return every morning while the trial runs. For readers, the rules of the room matter more than the headlines. Coverage is limited to a fair and accurate account of what is said in court, so one side is heard first and the other later. Expect the prosecution to call its witnesses, and the defence to question them, before Mr Brand or his lawyers set out their own case. Complainants in sexual offence cases are entitled to lifelong anonymity, so you will not see them named here or in the reports we saw. Do not read a verdict into an opening speech, in either direction. What to watch is whether the court sits as planned today, and whether the judge announces any limits on reporting.