Russell Brand trial a ‘watershed second that would set off circumstances in opposition to different stars’

Russell Brand’s conviction could be a ‘watershed moment’ that triggers a host of sex assault prosecutions against other big name bad boy stars, police believe. At least two more women have complained they too were targeted by the Hollywood actor, comic and author who told pals his ambition was to bed ‘5,000 women’.

Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was cleared of two further charges of rape and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.

But police chiefs who led a 30-strong team of detectives probing the star’s antics over a decade said they were convinced there could be more victims.

They have set up a telephone hotline for others to call to report their alleged ordeals. Cops believe Brand’s conviction could spark a raft of allegations against other top stars of his era.

A senior detective told the Daily Star: “It might be a bit of a watershed moment where we start to look back at that period of time and we have a look at what else was taking place.

“What else was in the mainstream media. What other people might have been doing something similar, what was happening in that Eurotrash kind of era through the lens of an abuse of power. I think there possibly are more victims.”

The Metropolitan Police confirmed investigations are ongoing into two allegations of rape made against Brand. At pre-trial court hearings, it was revealed one of the complaints comes from a woman who dated Brand when he was 30 and she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

It can also now be reported that more women came forward to police after Brand was first accused, and prosecutors are assessing whether to bring further charges.

Two TV companies the star worked for could also face scrutiny after complaints raised were not passed on to police at the time. Channel 4 did its own investigation and a complaint to MTV was not acted upon, police said, adding it raised ‘legitimate questions’ about companies’ duties to pass on criminal complaints.

Officers said Brand used his celebrity status to target women and his cloak of stardom could have prevented more victims coming forward to report him fearing they either would not be believed or face public exposure.

His continued social media commentary ‘making light of’ the case both in the build up to and during the trial had caused his victims extra ‘upset’, said police who logged every statement he made.

One officer involved in the case said: “His celebrity status definitely featured in his offending. As he has become more famous he has got more and more confident, almost more outrageous as he’s gone on.

“I think that has definitely played into the power imbalance. He’s taken advantage completely of his position and his outrageousness to pursue women.

“When you report offences of this nature you really are giving away the most at times personal information about your life. It’s a really big decision to make that report regardless.

“To have somebody like Russell Brand – somebody that’s so famous and all of that attention then piled in – I think it just adds to the pressure.

“People have come forward that have spoken to us but some people are just not ready to go ahead and make those allegations and we respect that decision.”

Prosecutors said they had probed a ‘couple of other complaints’ relating to Brand filed by other alleged victims.. “They haven’t resulted in charges,” a source said. “They were in relation to other complainants. It doesn’t mean their accounts were not believed.”

Det Supt Andy Furphy, who oversaw the Metropolitan Police probe codenamed Operation Actinolite, paid tribute to the victims who had pressed charges against the star.

“The allegations at the centre of this investigation are serious,” he said. “I would like to acknowledge the women at the heart of this case who bravely came forward and spoke to us.

“We know that reporting sexual offences can be incredibly difficult and a deeply personal decision. For many victims it involved recounting some of the most traumatic experiences of their lives and placing their trust in the criminal justice system.

“Throughout this investigation our priority has been to support those people that came forward, listen to their accounts and ensure they are treated with care, dignity and respect.

“We recognise the courage it takes for victims to come forward. Their willingness to be so open and honest with investigators has been central to our ability to thoroughly investigate these allegations and present the evidence before the courts.

“Our investigators have worked closely with those involved throughout what has been a lengthy and often demanding criminal justice process.”

Police said the probe was launched following a 2023 Channel 4 Dispatches documentary about Brand’s sexual misconduct. Senior investigating officer Det Insp Laura Nelson said: “In the days and weeks that followed the programme airing the Met and other police forces across the country began to receive several reports and we began to assess the allegations and to consider what investigative opportunities existed.

“A dedicated investigation team was established made up of specialist officers with extensive experience in investigating complex sexual offences.

“As part of the investigation we identified witnesses, reviewed available material and examined records to establish timelines relating to events that occurred over a 10-year period. The fact that the allegations were non-recent in nature did present some challenges to us.

“We didn’t have any CCTV or forensic evidence and the digital inquiries were limited. That meant that our officers had to carry out detailed work to understand the circumstances surrounding each allegation and to identify supporting evidence to corroborate each account.

“This has involved tracing and speaking to more than 100 witnesses, we have reviewed over 1,400 documents and we have established timelines. In total we have taken over 340 witness statements and that includes from former employers, colleagues and associates of Brand.

“We’ve had to trace floorplans and photographs of locations linked to allegations in order to cross reference details with accounts provided by the victims. This includes a former address of Brand, a radio station studio and a Soho bar.

“These are just examples of a snapshot of the work carried out by our team who have gathered and reviewed a huge amount of material and who have followed hundreds of lines of inquiry from a range of different sources.

“All of that work has focussed on building the clearest possible picture of the allegations and ensuring prosecutors have had the fullest possible understanding of the evidence available.

“We know that reporting sexual offences can be incredibly difficult and we’d like to acknowledge the courage shown by the women involved in this case and the trust that they have placed in our investigation team.

“The profile of Russell Brand and the significant media attention surrounding this investigation both nationally and internationally has inevitably added to those challenges. For some the prospect of making allegations against such as well known public figure was daunting in itself.

“Whilst others were understandably affected by the intense public and media scrutiny that accompanied the investigation. Despite that the resilience shown by each of the victims throughout has been remarkable.

“We want to therefore reiterate our commitment to ensuring that all victims of sexual abuse are treated with care, compassion and professionalism.”

Det Sgt Gemma Robb said following his arrest Brand displayed nothing like his larger-than-life TV persona during two police interviews. “On the first occasion he was very nervous, quite quiet,” she said.

“Because it has been pretty much the same interview team each time as he got more familiar with us and the procedures he became more relaxed. He was cooperative, turned up with his legal team.

“He was quieter and calmer. Each time it was a prepared statement followed by ‘no comment’. He wasn’t the Russell Brand you see on the television.”