Russell Brand denies rape claims at Southwark Crown Court

A TV worker told Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday that she was not a "giddy schoolgirl" when she met Russell Brand in a central London bar in 2004. The woman claims Brand groped her breasts within moments of meeting her at the Nordic Bar in Soho. She further alleges he then dragged her to a toilet and forced her into a sex act. Brand denies all charges, stating the encounter was consensual and has since been "re-imagined".

Under cross-examination by Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC, the accuser insisted she was not charmed or particularly excited to meet the comedian. "I had worked with numerous famous people, I was not starstruck," she told the court. When suggested she had been excited by the prospect of meeting Brand, who was "becoming a superstar", she replied: "No, I wasn't extremely excited, I wasn't a giddy schoolgirl."

The woman stated that she had met Brand for less than a minute before the alleged sexual assault occurred. She described Brand as having a "weird grin like a clown" as he grabbed her breasts at the party in 2004. She testified that he then pulled her by the arm to a toilet, sat on the closed lid, and forced her to perform oral sex.

When questioned about whether she struggled, the accuser stated: "I don't agree" with the suggestion that it would have been easy to get help. She explained that she was "dragged" into the toilet against her will. "I think that when somebody is towering over you, grabbing your arm really hard, is dragging you, within seconds you're locked in a room with them," she said. "It's hard when someone's gripping you and you're small, it's hard to get away from that person."

She told the court: "I did say: 'Get off from me' and I didn't want to do anything." When asked why she did not slap Brand after he allegedly groped her, she replied: "I was completely in shock, that someone I had been speaking to for 30 seconds would do that."

The defence barrister suggested that Brand denies grabbing the woman's breasts in the bar area at all. Earlier, the woman's recorded police interview was played to the jury. In it, she accused Brand of saying "don't be a spoilsport" during the alleged rape. She also stated she "froze" and closed her eyes, waiting for it to finish.

Russell Brand faces seven charges: three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. The trial at Southwark Crown Court is ongoing.