If Russell Brand was at all worried about being found guilty in his four-week rape and sexual assault trial, he was not showing it.
asserted
he → find → it
I was standing a few people behind the British actor and comedian in the queue for security checks outside London's Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, when he broke briefly into song.
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he → stand → song
"Sweet Caroline," he sang to a woman beside him in the line, quoting the famous Neil Diamond hit.
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he → sing → hit
The woman had introduced herself to the star as Caroline, and the pair chatted jovially while waiting to move forward.
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pair → introduce → Caroline
Inside court, just minutes later, the jury began its second day of deliberations.
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jury → begin → deliberations
On other mornings, as Brand was greeted at court by a flurry of camera flashes, journalists asked how he was feeling.
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he → greet → flashes
Throughout the trial, the comedian-turned-born-again Christian influencer continued to make social media videos with his wife, Laura, for their millions of followers.
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comedian → turn → followers
As the court heard harrowing, graphic and often tearful accounts from Brand's six accusers, he did not flinch.
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he → hear → accusers
When he gave evidence himself, he did so standing up unnaturally straight.
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he → give → evidence
At crunch time — when the guilty verdicts were read out on Thursday — the comedian stood to attention like a soldier on parade and showed no emotion.
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comedian → read → emotion
When his lawyer applied for bail ahead of sentencing on Monday, he said his client wanted time to say goodbye to his wife and three children over the weekend.
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client → apply → weekend
Outside court and in, this was a defendant who did not seem to think he would go to jail.
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he → seem → jail
Entitled entertainer who used women
Brand has been on trial since mid-October for seven historical sex offences relating to six women spanning a decade from 1999 to 2009.
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Brand → entitle → 2009
After eight and a half hours of deliberations, the jury of four women and eight men found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
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him → find → assault
He was acquitted of a further two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
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He → acquit → assault
On the steps of Southwark Crown Court afterwards, police praised the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination" of the women, while pulling no punches about Brand.
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police → praise → Brand
"Russell Brand used his influence, status, and fame to prey on and exploit women.
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Brand → use → women
As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement," Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, from London's Metropolitan Police Service, said.
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Furphy → grow → Service
I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be.
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they → hope → law
During the trial, journalists could only report what was said and done in front of the jury, but with verdicts returned and restrictions lifted, we can now give more detail from one of the most high-profile criminal trials in recent British history.
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we → report → history
Brand is no longer a mainstream comedian and actor, and instead styles himself as a Christian influencer, broadcasting online prayer videos and sermons to millions.
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Brand → style → millions
When he was first shown into the dock before jury selection, he went down on one knee and appeared to pray.
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he → show → knee
During the trial he wore crucifixes of different sizes, he sometimes carried a bible with sticky notes marking pages, and at least one day he was handling what looked like prayer beads.
Unusually for a defendant in a criminal trial, he posted repeatedly on social media — not about the evidence but about his feelings, his faith, and his disdain for the mainstream media.
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he → wear → media
It can now be reported that Brand's legal team tried to have the case thrown out, before the trial had even begun because of negative press about him.
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trial → report → him
Barrister Ian Winter KC argued his client could not receive a fair trial because of 2023 media reports with allegations about Brand — allegations that prompted the women who would ultimately be the complainants in this trial to come forward.
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who → argue → trial
Mr Winter's application was denied, but he would go on to say during the trial that the 2023 reporting had "poisoned the well".
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reporting → deny → well
In an extraordinary moment in the corridor at the end of proceedings, Mr Winter launched a tirade at Sunday Times Chief News Correspondent Rosamund Urwin, who worked on the 2023 investigation.
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who → launch → investigation
“I hope you are pleased with yourself,” Mr Winter said.
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Winter → hope → yourself
Ms Urwin responded that she was “pleased justice has been done".
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justice → respond → ?
Mr Winter replied, “well, it wasn’t.
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it → reply → ?
You f***** it.
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You → f → it
On Friday the top silk reported himself to the Bar Standards Board over the exchange.
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silk → report → exchange
On day one, lawyers for People Magazine in the US were hauled before Judge Joel Bennathan to explain why the magazine had reported the attempt to have the case thrown out, when a court order had been made to keep that out of the public domain.
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order → haul → domain
Judge Bennathan then put journalists in court and beyond on notice that he would not be lenient if there were further contempt of court risks.
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he → put → court
Another day, police arrested a blogger who had identified one of Brand's accusers, all of whom are granted lifelong anonymity by the court.
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all → arrest → court
The man, who had been sitting in the spillover court watching proceedings on a large video screen, was detained for 12 hours, cautioned, and forced to amend his blog posts.
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who → sit → posts
Police appeal for other women to come forward
There are more allegations about Brand that we can now report too.
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we → come → that
The Metropolitan Police revealed its detectives are currently investigating allegations of rape from two more women in the UK, while there are two civil claims afoot against Brand relating to his time in the US.
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detectives → reveal → US
The head of Scotland Yard Sir Mark Rowley has said he "wouldn't be surprised" if more people came forward to make allegations.
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people → say → allegations
He has appealed for them to do so.
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them → appeal → ?
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
