Russell Brand trial: wife tells jury he is an ‘amazingly attentive husband’ as verdicts could come Tuesday

The wife of Russell Brand has given evidence for the defence at the Russell Brand trial, telling a jury at Southwark Crown Court that the comedian is “caring, kind” and “an amazingly attentive husband”, while accepting that they once split up over his infidelity. Brand, 51, denies all charges. The jury is likely to retire to consider its verdicts on Tuesday, according to the BBC.

What the Russell Brand trial has heard about the charges

Brand is accused of seven offences against six women, relating to a period between 1999 and 2009. The charges are three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of attempted indecent assault. He has pleaded not guilty to each of them. The allegations have not been proven, and it is for the jury to decide the case.

Laura Brand’s evidence

Laura Brand, 39, told the court she met Brand at the Edinburgh festival in 2006 after one of his shows. She is the sister of TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher. They began dating that September, she said, and she described him as “very caring, totally at my pace”. Asked by defence barrister Ian Winter KC whether he respected her wishes when she did not want to be sexual, she replied: “Yes, absolutely.”

She was candid about the couple’s early difficulties. She said she knew he “liked women” and learned during that first year that he was seeing others. They split in February 2007. “I was invested, we both had told each other we loved each other, but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous,” she said. They stayed in contact and became friendly again, she said, including after his marriage to Katy Perry ended. Asked whether she knew of his promiscuity while they were apart, she said she read about it in the papers and that he also told her himself.

They restarted their relationship in 2015, married in 2017 and have three children. “We have a very frank, honest and clear relationship and marriage,” she told the court. “I feel very seen by him… I love him very much.”

Limits on a defence witness

The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, and prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC both objected when Winter asked Laura Brand for her view on the truth of the allegations. “She’s not here as an expert witness,” the judge said, and that line of questioning stopped. In cross-examination, Karmy-Jones noted that she had attended much of the trial and taken notes, and questioned her about how much contact she had with Brand after their 2007 split. Reporters noted that Brand smiled and laughed during parts of his wife’s evidence.

Statements from former partners

The court also heard statements from two of Brand’s ex-girlfriends. Elia Alvarez Diaz said they lived together for about a year from 1998 to 1999. She described him as “gentle” and “loving”, and said: “When I said no, however, he accepted it.” She said the relationship ended because he repeatedly cheated. Amanda Alguero Alejos also said he had been unfaithful, calling him “undoubtedly promiscuous”.

Brand’s own testimony

The day before, Brand gave evidence himself. According to the BBC, he told jurors the allegations had a “devastating” effect on his relationships with friends and colleagues. He said he had been promiscuous but regarded sexual consent as “fundamental, essential, necessary and indeed in many ways more important than sex itself”.

For the prosecution, Karmy-Jones has argued that the circumstances of the alleged offending were “as wide and as varied as the defendant’s career”. That is the prosecution’s case, which Brand disputes. The Russell Brand trial continues, with the jury expected to begin deliberating early next week.

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