Journalists "poisoned the well of justice" by prompting complainants to come forward and make criminal allegations against Russell Brand, jurors have heard.

In his closing speech on Monday, Ian Winter KC, Brand's defence barrister, said a Channel 4 documentary and stories in the Times and Sunday Times that made allegations about Brand in 2023 "caused people who had not previously considered for it to be appropriate to bring criminal allegations against him, to do so, and very many years after."

Brand faces seven counts; three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.

He denies all the allegations.

On Monday at Southwark Crown Court, Winter told jurors that "living a highly promiscuous life is entirely lawful".

He added: "Can you possibly be sure in this case that out of the many, many women who voluntarily had sex with Mr Brand, that he raped just three of them?"

Winter said it was an "extremely curious feature" of the case that Brand "obviously genuinely believed that they were consenting because that's the only thing that would explain why his behaviour was normal".

He added that there was "no evidence he is some sort of psychopath who rapes people and thinks it's normal".

Referring to one allegation from 1999, Winter said: "You would have to be a psychopath" to be raping someone and "asking if they were enjoying it" at the same time.

"He left her his actual email address. Rapists do not give out their email address," he added.

"Rapists do not leave their photographs. Rapists do not kiss their victims goodbye."

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