Russell Brand hires ‘Mr Loophole’ to fight speeding charges

High-profile lawyer to defend comedian over allegations of motoring offences a week after CPS handed file regarding alleged sexual offences

Russell Brand has been charged by police after he was allegedly caught speeding twice.
The 49-year-old has been charged with two allegations of speeding and two counts of failing to tell police if he or someone else was driving the car.
The comedian and actor has hired the law firm of Nick “Mr Loophole” Freeman to represent him in the magistrates’ court hearings over the charges.
His case was initially dealt with by the single justice procedure where magistrates sit in private, but now appears to be heading to a hearing in open court, The Standard reported.
According to court papers obtained by The Standard – which relate to one of the speeding charges and one allegation of failing to answer a police letter – a Mini registered to Mr Brand was caught on a speed camera on March 23.
The vehicle was allegedly going at 37 mph in a 30 mph zone in Shiplake, a village near to his Oxfordshire home, Thames Valley Police said.
It is further alleged that Mr Brand was written to at his £3.7 million thatched retreat in Henley-on-Thames in April and a reminder letter was also dispatched, but there was no response.
In a letter to the court, Mr Brand’s lawyer from Freeman & Co Solicitors asked for no pleas to be entered against any of the charges.
Court records show the case came before a magistrate sitting in Oxford on Oct 25, with no pleas being recorded.
The cases were adjourned to a future date for a hearing in open court.
Separately, following an investigation published last year by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches, Mr Brand was interviewed by police three times over allegations of historical sex offences.
Last week, it emerged that detectives investigating Mr Brand over the allegations have sent prosecutors a file of evidence so they can consider bringing charges.
The incidents are said to have occurred between 2006 and 2013, when Mr Brand held several high-profile jobs, including at Channel 4 and BBC Radio 2.
He has previously denied the allegations, calling them “very, very hurtful”.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement it had received a number of reports of sexual offences from women following the original Channel 4 and Sunday Times investigation.
As part of its investigation, it said: “A man in his 40s had been interviewed by officers under caution on three separate occasions.
“A file of evidence has now been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for their consideration.”
The CPS confirmed it has been handed a file by police, so it can consider charges in relation to allegations of historical sex offences by a 49-year-old man.
The allegations against Mr Brand come from a seven-year period when he was at the height of his fame – hosting national television and radio programmes, and starring in Hollywood films.
Other claims made as part of the investigation relate to Mr Brand’s allegedly controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour.
In an online interview earlier this year, the comedian said it was “very, very painful” to be accused of “what I consider to be the most appalling crimes”.