Ian Winter KC self-refers — Ian Winter KC, the defence barrister who represented Russell Brand during his criminal trial, has reported himself to the Bar Standards Board after a Sunday Times journalist alleged that he confronted her outside court following Thursday’s verdicts. The move places the conduct of one of the trial’s senior legal figures under the scrutiny of the profession’s regulator.
Account of the exchange
Rosamund Urwin, a journalist who worked on a 2023 media investigation into Brand, described the encounter on a Times and Sunday Times podcast. She said she approached Winter outside court after the jury delivered its verdicts and introduced herself, and that he reacted with hostility. According to her account, he said he hoped she was pleased with herself, and when she replied that she was pleased justice had been done, he disputed that and used a profanity while appearing to blame her.
Urwin acknowledged in the podcast that she could not recall every detail herself and was relying partly on published reports of what was said.
Winter's response
Winter issued a statement indicating that the public presentation of the episode had prompted his decision. He said that having reviewed how the matter had been characterised in the press, he believed his professional obligations required him to bring the allegations to the Bar Standards Board so they could receive proper examination. He confirmed that he had made the report.
The Bar Standards Board is responsible for regulating barristers in England and Wales in the public interest. A self-referral does not by itself establish that any rules were broken; it places the allegations before the body that oversees professional conduct.
Background to the trial
Brand, the actor and comedian, was found guilty on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault after a four-week trial. He had denied the allegations. The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, told him to expect a significant custodial term when he is sentenced on Monday. Brand remains in custody.
The criminal case is separate from the 2023 joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and the Times and Sunday Times, in which four women made allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse against Brand. None of those four women were complainants in the criminal trial.
Before the trial, Brand’s legal team unsuccessfully sought to have the case stopped, arguing that publicity surrounding the media investigation meant he could not receive a fair hearing. Prosecutors opposed that application.
Further investigations and reaction
Brand is also being investigated over two additional rape allegations made by two other women. Court documents from a pre-trial hearing at Southwark Crown Court indicate that one of those women was 16 at the time of the alleged offence and had appeared in a Channel 4 documentary. Brand has denied those allegations as well.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he would not be surprised if further allegations were made against Brand. He commended the women who reported allegations and gave evidence for their bravery, and said police would do everything possible to bring powerful people to justice when sexual assault complaints are made.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham was also asked about Labour’s past associations with Brand, who more than a decade ago attracted a following for his left-wing political commentary. Burnham, who publicly supported Brand in 2014 during a dispute over the comedian’s housing arrangements, said it is not always possible to know everything about people in public life. He described Brand’s crimes as horrific, said Brand had been rightly held accountable, and stated that he had not known the full extent of what Brand was doing.
