Russell Brand's barrister tells court rape was a 'short, momentary failure', sex assault victim was 'not particularly vulnerable' and it was 'not surprising' he forced victim to shower before sex

Published: 09:05 EST, 9 November 2026 | Updated: 09:22 EST, 9 November 2026 Russell Brand's lawyer said one of the disgraced comedian's victims was 'not particularly vulnerable' after the celebrity groped her breasts in a bar. Ian Winter KC, representing Brand, 51, said the woman who was sexually assaulted by his client in a bar in Soho, London in 2004 was 'tipsy' and not 'vulnerable'. Ahead of Mr Justice Bennathan sentencing Brand at Southwark Crown Court at 2pm today, Mr Winter said: 'She was not particularly vulnerable at all.'Being tipsy is not something that gave rise to vulnerability and there's no evidence the defendant knew she was tipsy so to be vulnerable.'Brand's lawyer added the attack should be viewed as a 'very, very short incident'.Throughout the morning the court has heard victim impact statements from Brand's victims who said he had left them 'haunted' and 'humiliated and overwhelmed'.Brand was convicted, on Thursday last week, of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, in offending which happened between 2004 and 2009.Mr Winter told the judge Brand's rape of a 21-year-old woman was a 'momentary total failure' to respect her consent during sexual intercourse at his £2.3million home in Hampstead, north London in 2009. Russell Brand's lawyer said his client's rape was a 'momentary' failure to respect consent Ian Winter KC added that one of the sexual assaults was a 'very, very short' attack in a barHe said: 'We invite (you) to conclude that this was fully consensual vaginal intercourse that (the victim) went to the defendant's house to experience.'Therefore what the defendant should be sentenced for is really quite a short, momentary total failure to respect her consent in two areas.'Brand also forced the woman to shower and brush her teeth before he attacked her. We speak to the detective who brought down Russell BrandHi, I'm Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults - and our reporters Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull were in court every day to witness it all. They sat down with Detective Inspector Laura Nelson who revealed why the women who accused him in the infamous documentary were not involved in his rape trial. Subscribe to The Crime Desk to listen to the podcast. Mr Winter described this request as 'not particularly' surprising given his client's previous drink and drugs usage. The lawyer argued this did not amount to Brand humiliating or degrading his victim.In written submissions, Mr Winter put forward: 'Whilst plainly unattractive behaviour on the part of Mr Brand, it is not entirely surprising that an ex-alcoholic might prefer not to smell alcohol on an intimate partner's breath in circumstances where sexual activity was very much expected and intended to follow.'But Brand's victim disagreed. In her own statement, she said: 'Following what happened, I felt anxious, humiliated and overwhelmed.'I struggled to eat and sleep, and I found it difficult to cope with my emotions.'The impact was so significant that I had to take time away from work, and for a period I returned to live with my parents because I did not feel safe and felt unable to cope on my own.'I sought help and support because I was struggling with my feelings, and difficulties with sleep have continued over the years.'Even now, I feel that I am living with the trauma of what happened. It is something I carry with me every day and it often feels never-ending.'The prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC described Brand's rape victim as 'particularly vulnerable.She added: 'Requiring her to shower and brush her teeth and commenting after the offence that she needed to clean up the mess she had made before directing her to wipes,' was an act of 'degradation' and 'humiliation'.