“The conduct of Channel 4, Hardcash Productions – the makers of the documentary – and the Sunday Times newspaper in publishing the anonymous allegations against the defendant was, and remains, unlawful and criminal,” argued Mr Winter.
“It amounted to, and continues to do so, a contempt of court and to a perversion of the course of justice.”Mr Winter mounted the attack on the journalists who had first exposed Brand’s sexual predator behaviour during two days of pre-trial hearings in September.
He called the Dispatches documentary, Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, a “work of fiction” filled with “false allegations”, highlighting the anonymised women who had given their stories had been depicted on screen by actors.
The allegations in the documentary included rape claims, alleged sexual harassment on the set of Big Brother, sexually-charged comments while working for the BBC, and details of his lewd behaviour in the Noughties, including telling audiences at his stand-up shows “all sex should be a bit frightening”.
Mr Winter complained that televised claims against Brand had been made by the “tear-stained cheeks of professional actors”, instead of the real women who were accusing him of misconduct and abuse.
And he submitted to the court: “We don’t even know if these people exist.”
Russell Brand barrister launches tirade against journalist after rape trial | LBC
LBC
Russell Brand’s barrister has launched a verbal tirade against one of the journalists who brought the disgraced comedian's rape and sexual assaults to the spotlight.