Oxford News
Russell Brand ‘sold Oxfordshire pub’ ahead of court trial
The controversial comedian – set to face a rape trial later this year – purchased the Crown Inn in Pishill near Henley in 2020.
He twice applied to turn the 15th century boozer into a recording studio for his online videos and podcasts but was met with fierce resistance by locals.
His first plea was refused after more than 50 neighbours complained and after more complaints were lodged about the second application, Mr Brand withdrew it.
The Henley Standard is now reporting the 50-year-old has sold the pub to a local businessman for £975,000 – around £125,000 more than he paid for it.
The local paper reports John Bloomer, group secretary of the National Farmers’ Union, is the new owner.
Residents branded him “absolutely charming”.
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Freddie van Mierlo, the MP for Henley, told the paper: “I’m delighted for residents who had their local pub closed for years by a ‘celebrity’ for the purpose of recording self-promotion and conspiratorial YouTube content.
“I’m so pleased that this much-loved pub is back in good hands.
“I wish the new owners huge success and I’m sure they will be well supported by the community.”
Mr Brand made his name as a comedian in the late 2000s and early 2010s but has since reinvented himself as a podcaster and influencer.
He will face trial over allegations of rape and sexual assault in October.
Mr Brand, who has a home in the UK but now lives in the US, is accused of three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault, with six women alleging crimes dating from 1999 to 2009.
He denies all the claims against him.
Mr Brand, Mr van Mierlo and Mr Bloomer were approached for comment.
The number displayed on the pub’s website is no longer operational.
Brand was first charged in April 2025 with alleged offences against four of the women, and his trial was set to start on June 16 this year at Southwark Crown Court.
Fresh charges involving two new complainants were brought in January and, at a hearing on March, Mr Justice Bennathan agreed to delay the trial until October 12.
The court heard the original trial was scheduled for up to five weeks, but is now expected to last for around two months.
The judge said if Brand’s trial started in mid-June, the court may run out of time to hear it and would struggle to find jurors who could sit through the start of the summer holidays.
Police were called to the crash on the A43 between Brackley and Silverstone village just over the Oxfordshire border in Northamptonshire.
The crash happened at the junction with the Green Man pub between a white Citroen Berlingo van and a blue BMW Z4 sports car at about 11.20am on April 8.
As a result of the collision, the driver of the Citroen – a man in his 60s – was taken to University Hospital Coventry with serious injuries.
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Detectives from the serious collision investigation unit would like to hear from anyone who may have been in the area at the time of collision and may have dash-cam footage.
Anyone with information is asked to email CollisionAppeals@northants.police.uk or call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615, or Northamptonshire Police on 101.
Please quote incident number 26000200193 when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible.
Phyllis Court Club in Henley has had plans approved to extend its existing spa and gym to add a new studio and workout space to its facilities.
The addition comprises of a ground floor gym extension with a pergola, allowing the club to host more exercise classes – including some outside, under a new all-weather covering – and a first floor ‘yoga pod’ extension.
This will take the shape of a freestanding, circular addition to the upper floor with a oculus roof light, designed specifically for yoga as “an immersive, meditative retreat” with the intention of creating a “serene, Zen-like atmosphere”.
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The application was submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council last December and received planning permission on April 8.
In their recommendation to approve the scheme, planning officers for the council said: “In officers view, the proposal would form a cohesive and subordinate addition, maintaining an appropriate visual relationship with the host building.
“It would not result in harm to the character or appearance of the site, nor to the wider surrounding area and is therefore considered acceptable in design terms.”
Phyllis Court Club was established in 1906 and is set in an 18-acre estate and manor, with hotel rooms, a restaurant and boat house on the bank of the River Thames.
Detective Constable Rebekah Routh of Oxford CID called Thomas Mesai Siyoum’s assault “a completely unacceptable act of violence” and said it could have had “fatal consequences”.
Mr Siyoum, of Heath Crescent, Coventry, was sentenced to three years and one month at Oxford Crown Court today (Thursday, April 9).
This was for section 20 unlawful wounding at the Oxford Brookes University James Wolfe Road campus against Abubaker Kadir on July 20 last year.
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In addition, he was handed a concurrent sentence by Judge Maria Lamb for being in possession of a bladed article in a public place, namely a knife, for which he was given a 10-month sentence.
Siyoum, who required an Amharic interpreter in court, was initially born in Eritrea but had stints in both Ethiopia and Libya before crossing to the UK on a small boat on December 27, 2024.
His exact age during the trial was not identified, with Judge Lamb stating that it had been indicated he was either 18, 21 or 25.
Mr Kadir had claimed that the two did not know one another before the attack while Siyoum said they had been in contact since he was in Libya, en-route to the UK.
Siyoum added that their disagreement stemmed from a TikTok video about a fight at a concert in London.
Siyoum stabbed the victim in the right inner leg, hitting a femoral artery, with Mr Kadir’s companions applying a tourniquet
He was subsequently rushed to hospital, but he has since been discharged.
The attacker was arrested on September 12 and was charged the following day.
Reacting to the sentence, Detective Constable Routh, said: “This was a serious and completely unacceptable act of violence that could very easily have had fatal consequences.
“Mesai Siyoum inflicted serious injuries to the victim, and it was only thanks to a quick-thinking member of the public using a t-shirt as a tourniquet that the victim’s life was saved.
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“We hope this outcome provides some reassurance to the community and serves as a reminder that violence will not be tolerated.
“Thames Valley Police remain committed to tackling violent crime and ensuring victims receive the justice they deserve.”
In her summary at the sentencing Judge Maria Lamb said: “Whatever the topic of your falling out I do not regard it as any form of justification for what you then did.”
Subject to a current Home Office investigation into his immigration status he will be required to serve at least 40 per cent of his sentence.
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