Russell Brand 🤢🤮 - crunch time

[KidsDoBetter]

Continuing the docky wock

don’t want to jinx it by referring to potentially Jaily Wail

They really have. I hope, for their sakes and the probably many other vistims, they throw the book at him

@MyKindHikeryou have (wrongly) assumed the only alternative is to let the decision be in the hands of a single person. There are many other options apart from “12 lay people” and “a single person, expert in the law”.

Interesting that Bernard Gallagher arrived with his daughter and son-in-law today. That’s rather a show of support.

I wonder if there is more to come out after the verdicts. You know how you hear how many initial complaints were received and how many made it to CPS etc. there’s often additional info revealed post trial.

I mean technically even ONE would be one too many. So annoying.

I think he is going to be found not guilty and while he will never recover from this in the sense that his career as an actor and a comedian is over and has of cours been gone for many years, he will continue with his YouTube madness. He will probably trot of to the States and be on many a pod cast hosted by misogynistic men. I would guess too that a not-guilty verdict will bring out all the incels, and other varities of people who think that women have "taken things too far and got above themselves", the sort that think that rape is only rape if it commited by a stranger down a dark alley.

If he is found guilty I expect there will be a lot of other cases coming forward. Hope that is the case. I also hope it would give those who were hanging around with him some very sleepless nights, Jonathan Ross, Noel Fielding etc.

I thought the Brands looked rattled going into court today. She had just scooped up her hair, no bouncy blow dry today, and shades on to hide what I suspect are dark circled eyes. Her dad had his hand on her shoulder- he is there for her, not for RB. Brand himself looked less sure of himself and also had shades on.

If he is acquitted it is going to be a dark day indeed.

Apparently Winter also said ‘there had been “monstrous delays” in the women in the criminal trial coming forward to police.’

Nice emotive language there.

I don’t think the most appropriate or fitting use of the adjective “monstrous” in this case is to describe the delays.

I have thought that professional juries may be the way forward so you don’t end up with randoms with prejudices and biases. I was told there were 8 men on this jury and my first unconscious thought was ‘oh dear’ because your automatic thought would be tgat they would be biased towards the man. Conversely I see it here all the time where a poster will say ‘I would always believe a woman’ which is frankly equally scary.

If there were professional juries then there could be unconscious bias training. Juries could be six female, six male or a more ethnic mix so you don’t end up with a load of white racists judging a case where the victim or offender is not white British. It could also ensure tgat tge jury have sufficient intellect and knowledge of law to understand legal principles.

A friend of mine was on a jury and the hold out was one male who refused to find the defendant guilty because he was ex army, as was he. Nothing to do with the evidence presented. He eventually capitulated on the Friday when he realised they’d have to come back on the Monday. He was also shocked to find out the defendant had actually only briefly been in the army, and had an extensive criminal career. (And yes I know no one is meant to discuss what goes on in the jury room but was brought up during a discussion about this very subject). In fact the fact that jury room discussions in the UK can’t be discussed, unlike the US means it is difficult to establish if there were issues with any of the jurors wanting to push their own agenda etc etc.

Winter began his closing speech by reciting an 1864 quote from the theologian and philosopher John Henry Newman, saying: “What I insist upon here, now that I am bringing this portion of my discussion to a close, is this unmanly attempt of his, in his concluding pages, to cut the ground from under my feet … this I call poisoning the wells.

Ian Winter: salt of the earth, innit. I wouldn’t have opened with THAT, but it’s exactly what I’d expect someone of that background to open with - an obscure quote from a Catholic theologian.

One thing I’m clinging to is his lack of expertise in defending serious sexual offences will be Brand’s
downfall.

Also have a horrible feeling he's going to get away with it. I think Kevin Spacey had 4 (male) accusers. If they weren't believed, I don't think these women will be. My mouth has dropped open several times at the things that have come out of Winter's mouth over the course of the defence. I'm appalled it's still allowed in this day and age.

Jesus, if i was Brand I’d be mightily pissed off at my defence barrister for this. Surely the obvious comeback to “You would have to be a psychopath to be raping someone and asking them if they were enjoying it at the same time” is “well maybe your client is, in fact, a psychopath’? Also, has he never heard of the concept of power-reassurance rapists? It’s a slightly outdated idea but you’d expect someone defending a major rape case to have at least come across the concept!

They’ve both worn sunglasses to court every day. She missed a couple of days very early on.

I agree BG is there for his daughter. I’d also imagine RB was absolutely desperate for some show of familial support to back up his case on the final day.

Interesting how much Winter is referring to the Dispatches programme (also how long his closing is taking!!) It’s a real double edged sword. On one hand their key argument is that it was the cause of these false complaints, reimaginings that have “poisoned the well”. On the other they fought hard not to have it shown to the jurors and selected only people who said they hadn’t watched it - but by talking about it so much they are reminding jurors of those other women out there beyond these 6 who allege to have been harmed by RB. Risky.

“Rapists do not give out their email addresses” “Rapists do not leave their photographs” “Rapists do not kiss their victims goodbye”

Is this guy for real?

I think he will be found guilty. not sure how many counts. I think he will have a prison sentence. Ian Winters closing arguments I could see through. It’s an attempt to slur all of these women and thats all he’s got, slurs and insults which to me would indicate a weak case on behalf of the defence.
I can also picture how he’d go too far , his own former former friend said as much. He would change demeanour and want the goal, regardless of what the woman wanted. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s many more women affected.

it comes down to evidence and credibility and I hope like hell this jury are not swayed by aggressive words from aggressive counsel, paid for by men with money.

Anyone remember this...?

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/russell-brand-lauren-harriess-sex-30956480.amp

Sorry I understood you, I just can't understand the judiciaries comments in regard to it.

I’d say those are typical rape myths that often are brought up in these types of cases, that he knows might persuade a jury. He’s clearly just throwing everything at it to create doubt. I hope it won’t work. I don’t think it will, but these things are rape myths for a reason.

I found it interesting that today was the first time there was no hand holding performative nonsense. In fact just looking at photos by body language alone BG doesn't seem to look or engage with RB at all and in some of them he appears to be guiding LB away from him.

It's definitely a show of support but it looks to me more for his daughter's sake, rather than the specimen she decided to attach herself to.

@PrettyPickleit’s from defence counsel’s closing speech, not the judge.

Laura still showed up to support Brand today. She doesn't have to. She could have just not attended today. So the fact she attended, with her father in tow, still shows solidarity and support.

As a jury member the first thing I’d be asking would be to see the Dispatches programme because the defence are basing everything on it. Why would reputable journalists from Ch4 and the Times fabricate a report like that - their legal people would have been all over it before it was released. I believe it showed Ch4 in a bad light. That’s evidence of at least another 4 women, one 16 year old that he used to send a car to collect from school IIRC. You’d be gutted as a jury member if you found him not guilty and then watched it.

I also don’t understand why other comics like Katherine Ryan and Daniel Sloss who said he was a sexual predator and that it was an open secret cannot be used as bad character. That’s just odd too. I prepare to be corrected.

I think Katherine Ryan’s evidence would be inadmissible as hearsay.

Laura has worn her hair i this style on other days at court, not only today. She wears sunglasses every single day to/from court, not just today. As does Brand.