Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. The sentence was handed down at Southwark Crown Court in London by Mr Justice Joel Bennathan.
The 51-year-old British comedian was found guilty on 5 November following a four-week trial. The offences were committed between 2004 and 2009, when his career was on the rise. Brand faced a total of seven charges involving six women, but was acquitted of two charges of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
Judge: “You have become a sexual predator”
In passing sentence, Judge Bennathan said Brand had used his fame, influence and power to satisfy his “insatiable” desire for sexual gratification. The comedian, he said, had displayed “extraordinary arrogance” and demonstrated contempt for women’s right to refuse.
“You were an intelligent man and, in the eyes of many, funny and charismatic. But you have also become a sexual predator,” the judge said.
He stressed that regardless of the clothing, location or amount of alcohol a woman had consumed, she retained the right to say “no” and seek justice when there was no consent.
How the sentence was reached
The case attracted police attention after a television programme about Brand in September 2023 encouraged women to come forward to investigators. More than 100 witness statements and thousands of documents were gathered in the case, London police said.
Prosecutors described Brand as a man who had used his celebrity status to commit sexual offences. The victims in the case retain lifelong anonymity.
In determining the sentence, the court took into account his lack of previous convictions, the fact that 17 years had passed since the last offence, and Brand’s subsequent life, including his support for people struggling with addictions.
Brand was taken from the courtroom
Brand listened to the sentence without any visible reaction. Before being taken into custody, he turned to his wife, Laura Gallacher, and told her: “I love you” and “Everything will be all right”.
Earlier, the defence had said that he was a “fundamentally different person” today. One of the women who was harmed, however, told the court: “A leopard may change its spots, but it remains a leopard.”
Following the sentence, Brand will be transferred to a prison for sex offenders. He was remanded in custody after the jury found him guilty on four of the seven charges in total.
Sources: dailymail.com, apnews.com, news.sky.com