The trial of English comedian and actor Russell Brand, 50, for alleged sex offenses has been delayed until Oct. 12, Southwark Crown Court in South London ruled Monday.
The actor is charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, committed against six women between 1999 and 2009, crimes that he denies in all cases.
Brand was not present at Monday’s court hearing at the London courthouse, where he was represented by his lawyer, Ian Winter.
Because two of the seven charges – one of rape and one of sexual assault – were filed last January, the court decided to delay the trial from June to October in order to have more time to conduct the legal process. The other five charges were filed last year.
The trial against the actor is expected to last two months, compared to the five weeks reserved if it had started in June.
The comedian had already appeared twice in court to plead not guilty to all charges.
The court also set a preliminary hearing on the case for June 16 and 17.
During his show business career, which began in the 1990s, Brand was one of the UK’s most popular comedians and hosted shows related to Big Brother.
The defendant resides in the United States and has been released on bail during the current criminal proceedings, reported Agencia EFE.
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