Prosecuting barrister Riel Karmy-Jones KC says that the first complainant "tried to block the incident out", and that it was in the early 2000s when she saw Russell Brand on television and recognised him.

Karmy-Jones says the complainant didn't say anything because of Brand's "celebrity status" and "the many positive things that were said by others about him".

The barrister says this was "a strategic decision" which the complainant "now greatly regrets".

Sima Kotecha
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

The prosecution says Brand was questioned by police about this allegation of rape, "he said if it happened, he didn’t remember the incident".

He added that he did not remember Complainant A's name and that he "had never engaged in non-consensual activity".

• Warning - this post contains distressing details

The prosecution continues outlining the first allegation.

The prosecutor says Complainant A "described drifting out of her head – knowing there was nothing she could do, as he pulled her trousers and underwear down, penetrated her vagina with his penis – raping her".

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

The prosecutor is giving more detail about when Complainant A says she came out of the bathroom to see Brand "partially naked".

Referring to the complainant, the prosecutor says: "Perhaps some of her confusion can be explained by how the defendant was behaving, because as she came out of the bathroom he was prancing around the room - a bit like an ostrich, doing silly walks like Basil Fawlty."

"She was taken aback, she was shocked and didn’t really know what to do - and in her words she froze a bit," says the prosecutor.

Claire Ellison
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

The prosecution continues describing the first woman's alleged interaction with Brand in 1999.

She went to the bathroom to use the lavatory, inviting him to make himself a cup of tea while she was out of the room.

"When she emerged from the lavatory, the defendant was partially undressed - he had removed his top, his chest was naked."

"She asked him why he had taken his clothes off, and he said something along the lines of: 'It's okay, it's just how I am, don’t worry… I’m mostly naked at home.'"

The prosecution is describing how Brand approached the first complainant.

"He was very polite, courteous and complimentary about her - saying she was pretty, always in a gentlemanly way, and she was flattered.

"But at that point, she assumed he was gay - he gave no indication of being attracted to her," the prosecution says.

Sima Kotecha
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

Russell Brand is staring straight ahead at the judge's bench - his hair neatly sits on the back of his jacket.

The door to the dock remains open so he is clearly able to see his wife. The pair occasionally glance at one another.

Laura Brand sometimes smiles warmly at her husband. She is sitting next to Brand’s security person who has attended court every day this week.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

The first complainant is a woman who was in her twenties when the alleged offence of rape took place.

Sima Kotecha
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

In relation to count one of the indictment, the prosecution counsel says Brand "found a victim, engaged with her", told her "exactly what she needed to hear", then manipulated the situation so as to have sex with her - sex "without her consent and against her will".

"He raped her," Karmy-Jones says.

As a reminder - Russell Brand denies all the charges against him.

Prosecution barrister Riel Karmy-Jones KC now turns to testimony from a former friend of Russell Brand.

The friend says that Brand had bragged to him that he was "a ladies man, a womaniser, and an expert pick-up artist" when they travelled to attend a Labour Party conference in 1999.

According to the friend, Brand said he wanted to "bed 5,000 women" in his lifetime and had set himself "rules" to achieve this.

Among these rules were "tell them what they want to hear".

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

Speaking about the allegations, the prosecutor says that after the "event" in question, Brand would "appear indifferent, normal and untroubled by what had just occurred".

She adds that "sometimes he would leave promptly after the incident, sometimes making an excuse to get away or sometimes simply continuing as though nothing wrong had happened".

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

The prosecutor says Brand would be "nice when he wanted to be, funny - undoubtedly - charming, likeable even - when he wanted something in return.

"But then demanding, entitled, a flirt with a huge sexual appetite - childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met."

The prosecution says he was a sexual predator, Karmy-Jones says.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

"The circumstances of the offending were as wide and as varied as the defendant’s career," Karmy-Jones, the prosecutor, tells the jury.

She says regardless of who the women were and what they said or did, Brand was not deterred.

"His desire, strong desire for some form of sexual contact was indiscriminate and voracious," she adds.

Sima Kotecha
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

The jury is listening attentively as the prosecution opens its case.

Some are sitting with their arms folded - others are staring straight ahead with their arms by their side.

The prosecution counsel tells them that Brand was "ruthless and calculated".

She says "sometimes he might tell women what they wanted to hear".

As a reminder, the defence argument will start later in the trial.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC begins opening the case against Brand to the jury.

Jurors are told that Brand is charged with a number of sexual offences, including rape and sexual assault, committed against six different women.

The women "did not know each other, "have never met each other, and who came forward independently of each other", Karmy-Jones says.

Sima Kotecha
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

This trial is taking place in court 3.

The dock is in the middle. It’s a glass box where the defendant - in this case Russell Brand - sits. He is facing the judge’s bench.

In between the dock and the bench are three rows of desks. On them sit the prosecution and defence counsel as well as members of their teams.

Behind the dock are the media. Some of the journalists are just a couple of metres or so away from Brand. His back is in their eyeline.

The jury is on the left of the dock. Some of the defendant’s friends and relatives are sitting to his right - including his wife Laura Brand.

The prosecution is now beginning to outline their case - we'll have all the details in this page.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

Due to high demand for media places, as well as seats in the main courtroom, there is another courtroom being used.

That's the court I am in - court 15 and it's packed with members of the press.

Those of us in here will be following the trial on a video link.

We don't have a view of the dock so we can't see Brand from here, but we can see the well of the court where the legal teams are, and the judge.

Sima Kotecha
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

Russell Brand is holding what looks like a pebble, and seems to be rubbing it with both his hands, as they’re clutched behind his back.

Sima Kotecha
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

Russell Brand and his wife Laura are now in court.

The defendant is holding the door to the dock open and smiling warmly at his wife, who is sitting in the seats to the right of the dock.

Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Southwark Crown Court

Image source, Reuters

The judge who will oversee this case is Mr Justice (Joel) Bennathan.

The lead prosecutor is Riel Karmy-Jones KC. It's her job to present the Crown's case to the jury. Ian Winter KC is Brand's defence counsel.

Both have barristers working alongside them as well as other members of their legal teams.