Russell Brand turned into a 'wild-eyed maniac' when he tried to drag MTV worker into male toilet and assault her, court hears

A woman told today how she feared she could have been raped when 'wild-eyed maniac' Russell Brand tried to drag her into a male toilet.

The 51-year-old is accused of attacking an MTV worker, attempting to yank her into a toilet to 'assault' her after switching from being an 'affable' TV presenter to a 'wild-eyed maniac'.

The alleged victim told jurors she fought back and managed to 'wrench' her arm free, but she said: 'The intent was there, it could have been very different.'

Southwark Crown Court heard details of the alleged indecent assault in 2001 for the first time as the second woman to accuse Brand took to the stand.

Brand denies a total of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault.

Jurors heard that the alleged attack unfolded just moments after Brand met the woman.

'He was quite famous then and he was a flagship presenter for MTV. He was pretty well-known,' she recalled.

'I noticed he was wearing a distinctive t-shirt which I liked.

'It said "I am Spartacus" the film is one of my favourites.

'I said: "Lovely t-shirt, I want it."

'He said: "You can have it."

'I said, '"Make sure it gets a good wash".

'It was very jovial, just banter.'

Brand then asked for the location of the male toilets which the victim agreed to show him, but as she reached the door he suddenly grabbed her, she said.

'His demeanour changed. He grabbed my forearm as he leaning into the door and it was quite forceful the grip.

'It took me unawares.

'He was trying to pull me into the bathroom with him and I was trying to pull myself away.

'I said to him 'What are you doing? Are you mad? Let me go.'

She described Brand as 'desperate', pleading with her, 'Go on, go on. Come in.'

She said: 'He had hold of my arm, hard in a grip.

'He's leaning into the male toilet door trying to pull me in, I'm pulling back.

'He has what I would call a wild look in his eyes. I wrenched my arm back.

'He realised it was not happening and he went into the toilet.'

The woman said she felt 'bewildered' after the 20-second assault.

'I might have called him an idiot,' she said.

'He was affable, jovial and suddenly turned into this wild-eyed maniac

'I was quite confused this had happened.'

She said she confided in colleagues, but decided not to make a complaint.

She added: 'I was scared. I got away. I thought it would be my word against his. He was a big asset to MTV and I had a mortgage to pay, so what's the point of making life hard for myself?'

But she changed her mind after watching a Channel 4 documentary on Brand in 2023.

'I managed to get away because of my own strength, it could have been very different,' she said.

'I thought it was the right thing to do to come forward.'

Ian Winter, KC, defending, suggested that Brand may have been seeking 'consensual sex'.

But the victim replied: 'I came away unscathed. He did not manage to rape me. I managed to get myself out of the situation.

'Why else would you drag someone into a toilet unless you want to assault them?'

'Trying to force someone into a bathroom- That is not an invitation.

'His eyes looked manic. It was not consensual.'

Earlier, Brand's former flatmate said the defendant had a 'huge preoccupation' with sex.

Jurors were shown photographs of Brand performing in a satirical play mocking Sir Tony Blair during the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, where Brand is alleged to have raped a woman in 1999.

The show's composer, Andrew Dobson, recalled Brand 'hurrying' to leave the town after the alleged rape.

He said of Brand: 'He was a very vibrant character, very egotistical I would say, lively, sort of quite demanding and persuading- erratic.'

He added: 'I think sex was a huge preoccupation for him.

'I do recall clearly nights where the pursuit of ultimately getting somebody into bed would have been a preoccupation.'

Outside court, Brand said he was finding the trial stressful.

He said: 'Obviously it's an extraordinary and stressful situation but it is also an exploration of truth and justice and as I've said before I pray for everybody involved.'

The trial continues.