On the twelfth day of the trial of Russell Brand, the jury were directed to find the defendant not guilty on one count of indecent assault. The judge, Justice Bennathan, told the jury there was insufficient evidence for count 2. This is where Brand was alleged to have grabbed the arm of a woman in the offices of MTV and attempted to drag her into a toilet.

However, a new count of “attempted indecent assault” was introduced in relation to the same incident.

The court also heard the prosecution read the prepared statements Russell Brand gave police when he was initially interviewed. In those statements the former comedian suggested complainants had “invented” allegations or “reimagined” consensual sexual encounters, after what he called “fictitious and defamatory” reporting in the press.

Russell Brand denies all the allegations against him.

Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace are in court every day, and then join Luke Jones to unpack it all.

Watch or listen to The Trial of Russell Brand every weekday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or listen on Spotify. Follow the show to never miss an episode.

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