A judge overseeing Russell Brand’s criminal trial has dismissed an indecent assault charge against the British comedian and actor, replacing it with a count of attempted indecent assault.
Mr Justice Bennathan made the decision midway through the trial, telling jurors that he had concluded there was “insufficient evidence” to support the indecent assault charge in connection with an alleged incident involving a female MTV employee in 2001, according to Sky News.
The allegation relates to an incident in which Brand allegedly grabbed the woman by the arm and tried to drag her into a toilet.
The judge subsequently added a charge of attempted indecent assault to the indictment, relating to the same alleged incident. While Brand has been formally acquitted of the original indecent assault count, jurors will still be asked to consider whether he attempted to commit the alleged offense. To formalize the decision, the judge selected one juror to deliver a not-guilty verdict on the original charge.
Describing the procedure as a “slightly artificial process,” Bennathan told the jury, “The defendant Russell Brand has entered a not-guilty plea to this count.”
The development came after the court heard four police statements given by Brand.
Brand, 51, who rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and television presenter before launching a Hollywood career with films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court centers on allegations made by six women concerning incidents dating from 1999 to 2009. Brand originally faced seven charges, including three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault.
The proceedings have featured testimony from several women who have accused Brand of sexual misconduct. Last week, a fourth accuser told the court that Brand had sexually assaulted her while she was working at a radio station in 2004 or 2005. She alleged that he pushed her against a wall, forcibly kissed her and touched her breasts and buttocks while people accompanying him looked on without intervening.
During the prosecution’s opening arguments, Riel Karmy-Jones KC described Brand as “ruthless and calculated,” alleging that his sexual appetite was “indiscriminate and voracious.” Prosecutors have argued that the six women, who did not know one another, came forward independently.
The criminal investigation followed a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s “Dispatches” in September 2023, which brought allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse against Brand into the public eye.
Brand has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him.