Russell Brand topless photos taken by alleged rape victim shown in court

Photographs of a topless Russell Brand taken by a woman who alleges that he raped her in a hotel room were shown to a court on Thursday.

The pictures show a youthful-looking Brand, who was clean-shaven with long brown hair, posing topless while wearing white trousers with a brown belt.

In one of the pictures, Brand can be seen with his arms by his sides and his head tilted, with a slight smile on his face.

In the other, Brand’s palm from an outstretched hand is pointed towards his face, and his lips are pursed as if he was blowing a kiss.

The images were shown to jurors during Brand’s trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The comedian is accused of attacking the woman in a Bournemouth hotel in 1999 where she was staying during a Labour Party conference.

On Thursday, the jury was shown a recorded interview in which the woman said she went to the bathroom in the hotel room and when she came back, Brand was “there in his briefs”.

She said the room was “small” and “white” and that she had invited Brand to make a tea or coffee before she went to the bathroom.

She said: “All I could remember properly was that he was practically naked, he’s got his briefs on.

“He was prancing around, being silly and then asking me to take pictures of him.

“I didn’t actually say anything, I was like ‘what’?”

She added: “I think he realised I was a bit shocked.”

The woman recounted how Brand acted “like Basil Fawlty when he does his goose steps” before the alleged rape.

She told the officer: “I remember him being like an ostrich – like a bird because he was very leggy.

“I wasn’t laughing, I just remember him jumping up and down being silly.”

She added: “Almost like Fawlty Towers-esque, like Basil Fawlty when he does his goose steps.”

The woman said she remembered feeling “frightened” after Brand allegedly forced her to take pictures of him on her camera.

The court heard the alleged victim say: “I took pictures of him on my camera – he made me take them.

“I was frightened. I remember feeling ‘what on earth have I got myself into’ – and then he did rape me.