Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being convicted of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others. Mr Justice Bennathan handed down the sentence at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, telling the former comedian and actor, 51, that he had been a “sexual predator” who told a “series of lies” to the jury.
The sentence is made up of nine years for the rape, to run consecutively, plus 18 months, nine months and eight months for the three sexual assaults, to run concurrently. Brand must serve two-thirds of the sentence before he is eligible for parole, according to the BBC and Reuters.
The former comedian and actor, 51, was found guilty on Thursday 5 November at Southwark Crown Court. The offences, against four women, took place between 2004 and 2009, during the height of Brand’s fame, according to the Glasgow Times and other reports.
Brand was remanded in custody immediately after the verdicts. He has spent the weekend in custody, and according to the Glasgow Times he has now spent four nights in prison since the trial concluded. A prison van believed to be carrying Brand was later seen arriving at HMP Wandsworth, according to the BBC.
What the jury decided
After eight-and-a-half hours of deliberations, jurors unanimously convicted Brand of offences against four women. The women were female television and radio workers, according to the Glasgow Times.
The jury cleared Brand of two other rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault. Brand, who denied every charge, was convicted of raping a woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting three others.
The prosecution was led by Riel Karmy-Jones KC, with Ian Winter KC appearing for Brand. The case was heard by Mr Justice Bennathan.
The sentence
Mr Justice Bennathan told Brand on Thursday that he should expect a “significant” prison term, and refused a request to let him remain on bail until sentencing, citing concern he might flee.
The judge heard victim impact statements and legal submissions from both the prosecution and defence before passing sentence on Monday. In his sentencing remarks, the judge said Brand had shown “staggering arrogance” and had sought to portray himself as the victim of a conspiracy, according to the BBC.
Rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in England and Wales, while sexual assault carries a maximum of 10 years, according to Britain’s Sentencing Council, as reported in coverage of the case.
Legal experts had offered differing estimates of the likely term before sentencing. Barrister Eleanor Laws KC, speaking on “The Trial” podcast, indicated Brand could face at least 10 years in prison, according to AsumeTech. Other reporting cited a guideline range of four to 13 years for the offences.
The case is not fully closed. Following the convictions, the Metropolitan Police confirmed Brand is under investigation for two additional rape allegations, which were not part of the proceedings concluded last week. No new charges have been announced in relation to those allegations. What to expect in court at Monday’s sentencing hearing.
