Russell Brand allegedly admitted going 'a bit too far' with woman, court hears
Comedian's statement made during trip to Bournemouth for cabaret show
Russell Brand told a former friend that he believed he may have gone a “bit too far” with a woman after spending the night with her, his trial heard.
Mark Pinheiro told jurors that Brand admitted he had been with a woman in Bournemouth, where they had travelled to perform a cabaret show on the fringes of the Labour Party conference in 1999.
Mr Pinheiro said that on the journey to the south coast, he and Brand talked in a car about “meeting girls, pulling girls, picking up girls”.
“He hoped that one day he would have been able to have slept with over 5,000 girls, that was his target,” he said.
“He began boasting about certain strategies he would employ in his endeavour to meet women and pull women.”
Mr Pinheiro said they spent a “quarter” of the journey talking about girls.
Brand, who was dressed in fishnet stockings and underpants for their cabaret performance, said that he was “going to go and get laid” when their final show ended, the court heard.
“We didn’t see Russell until the following morning,” he said.
“We all wondered where he was because he hadn’t returned home.
“Close to midday, we got a knock on the door and Russell just arrived back home.
“We asked him where he was, what happened overnight and he was clearly ruffled, discombobulated, his manner was all over the place – really flustered.”
Mr Pinheiro said Brand later told the group they needed to urgently vacate the flat they had been staying at in Bournemouth but initially would not say why.
He added: “He made it clear we needed to leave immediately.
“He began grabbing out coats on the coat rack, throwing each of our coats to us.”
Brand had said he had forgotten about an audition in London, the court heard.
But Mr Pinheiro said Brand became “annoyed” when he questioned him over why they had left Bournemouth so abruptly.
He said his questions “made him angry enough to kick out at me violently”.
The witness continued: “I didn’t react or retaliate back and the journey continued with a very uncomfortable back seat.
“It was as if he was prepared to fight me.
“Eventually he said ‘I need you to let me out as soon as you arrive back in London and let me get to the first Underground Tube stop’ because he couldn’t stand being in a car with me any longer.”
Mr Pinheiro said Brand was also “cowering” in the back of the car as they left the south coast.
“He was incredibly alert and incredibly afraid”, he said.
“Whenever a police siren passed the car, Russell would cower down behind the side window so he couldn’t be seen.”
It was a “very emergency reaction”, he added.
Mr Pinheiro said Brand eventually told him what had happened with the woman.
He told the court: “I had Russell finally say he did meet a girl on the Friday night, he did… have sex.
“He said that things got a little bit heated and a little bit out of hand, and he thinks that maybe he did go a little bit too far.
“Those were his words – ‘I think I may have gone a bit too far’.”
Under cross-examination, Mr Pinheiro said the events of 1999 were “quite memorable”, adding: “That was quite a big event that occurred, and not something you easily forget.”
Challenged by defence barrister Ian Winter KC that he had made “specific” allegations about Brand, Mr Pinheiro said he was being as “truthful as I possibly could”.
He added: “I have always remembered the situation that happened in Bournemouth.”
Mr Pinheiro said the alleged incident in the south coast town was “pivotal” how his relationship with Brand formed.
The witness came forward to police on April 6 2025, two days after the rape allegation during the party conference was first publicised.
Asked by Mr Winter why he did not ask the Metropolitan Police for the date of the alleged offence, Mr Pinheiro said: “For me there would only have been one night where it could have occurred.
“It was the night where Russell didn’t return home.”
Under questioning about the reliability of his account, Mr Pinheiro told jurors: “I haven’t alleged Russell did anything.
“I have merely described Russell’s behaviour and what words are ascribed to him, and his behaviour the morning after the night we didn’t see him.
“All I have volunteered is information, I haven’t accused Russell of rape.”