Claims extracted
27
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
4%
1 of 27 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
68/100
BBC News's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
103
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
- Published
Journalists "poisoned the well of justice" by prompting complainants to come forward and make criminal allegations against Brand, jurors have heard.
asserted
jurors → publish → Brand
In his closing speech on Monday, Ian Winter KC, Brand's defence barrister, said a Channel 4 documentary and stories in the Times and Sunday Times that made allegations about Brand in 2023, "caused people who had not previously considered for it to be appropriate to bring criminal allegations against him, to do so, and very many years after."
asserted
it → close → him
Brand faces seven counts; three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
asserted
Brand → face → assault
He denies all the allegations.
asserted
He → deny → allegations
On Monday at Southwark Crown Court, Winter told jurors that "living a highly promiscuous life is entirely lawful".
asserted
living → tell → life
He added: "Can you possibly be sure in this case that out of the many, many women who voluntarily had sex with Mr Brand, that he raped just three of them?"
uncertain
he → add → them
Winter said it was an "extremely curious feature" of the case that Brand "obviously genuinely believed that they were consenting because that's the only thing that would explain why his behaviour was normal."
asserted
behaviour → say → case
He added that there is "no evidence he is some sort of psychopath who rapes people and thinks it's normal".
asserted
it → add → people
Referring to one allegation from 1999, Winter said: "You would have to be a psychopath" to be raping someone and "asking if they were enjoying it" at the same time.
asserted
they → refer → time
"He left her his actual email address.
asserted
He → leave → address
Rapists do not give out their email address," he added.
asserted
he → give → address
"Rapists do not leave their photographs.
asserted
Rapists → leave → photographs
Rapists do not kiss their victims goodbye."
asserted
Rapists → kiss → victims
Referring to the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, aired in 2023, which made allegations about Brand, Winter reminded jurors that the judge in the trial had directed them that the programme was "very one-sided" and "produced in a dramatic manner".
asserted
programme → refer → manner
The barrister said it was "published without a single journalist ever speaking to Mr Brand about it other than to protect their defamation risk... protect their right to reply after the programme had been made".
asserted
programme → say → right
He later said: "Most importantly, that programme and those allegations in it; Mr Brand is innocent of them.
"
asserted
Brand → say → them
So, they poisoned the well in respect of things of which Mr Brand is innocent."
asserted
Brand → poison → which
He added that the six complainants in the case were "not random", adding they were "thoroughly contaminated by the programme".
Jurors were reminded about what Brand had said in his evidence about the impact the programme had on him.
Winter said one "graphic" example of the "truly devastating effect" on Brand was when a hospital "would not permit him to visit the bedside of his baby son after life-saving open heart surgery".
asserted
hospital → add → surgery
Winter said: "That tells you the extent to which public opinion has ... corrupted."
asserted
opinion → say → which
Brand previously told jurors that Great Ormond Street Hospital didn't let him stay with his son due to "material that had been published in the public eye".
asserted
that → tell → eye
Brand's lawyer also told jurors that Brand "had an immense amount of sex", but that "none of it was unlawful".
asserted
none → tell → it
"Disgusting, distasteful, immoral, who cares?" he added.
"
asserted
he → care → ?
Winter also referred to evidence given by Brand's wife Laura, saying: "She fell in love with that man in full knowledge of what he was doing.
"
asserted
he → refer → what
She married him, she bore him three children."
asserted
she → marry → children
He went on to say that she would not have done so if Brand was "guilty as charged".
asserted
Brand → go → ?
Brand arrived at court today accompanied by his wife Laura and her father Bernard Gallacher, the former professional golfer.
asserted
Brand → arrive → wife
The Southwark Crown Court trial continues.
asserted
trial → continue → ?
The Aporia
