Actor Russell Brand could receive between eight and nine years in prison after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The prediction was made by British lawyer Kallie Sahota, who told Page Six that the final sentence would be decided by the judge.
“My estimate is around eight or nine years, but the final sentence is in the judge’s hands,” Sahota said.
The jury at Southwark Crown Court in London found 51-year-old Brand guilty on four of the seven charges in total. The trial lasted four weeks and concerned four women and offences committed between 1999 and 2009. Russell Brand was acquitted of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
According to Sahota, British sentencing guidelines for rape provide for a prison term of between four and 19 years. The court must also determine the sentences for the three sexual assaults and whether they will be served concurrently with the rape sentence or consecutively.
When determining the overall term, the judge must apply the principle of proportionality, so that the sentence reflects all the offences without being disproportionate. If a fixed sentence of eight or nine years is imposed, Russell Brand would ordinarily serve around two-thirds of it in prison. This amounts to approximately five years and four months to six years behind bars.
The remainder of the term would be served under supervision in the community. Such release is not equivalent to complete freedom, as the offender must comply with specific conditions and may be returned to prison if they are breached.
After the verdicts were delivered, the comedian was taken into custody. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday, November 9, at the same court.
Sahota pointed out that there is no separate prison system for celebrities or financial criminals in England and Wales. Allocation is carried out according to security level, risk and available space. In the case of a high-profile prisoner convicted of sexual offences, an assessment of his safety may be conducted and he may be placed in a vulnerable prisoners’ unit, but this is not automatic.
“There will be no special treatment because of his fame,” the lawyer said.
Meanwhile, London police are investigating two additional allegations of rape. They are separate from the charges on which Brand has already been found guilty. Prosecutors must assess whether the evidence is sufficient for new charges and whether prosecution is in the public interest.
In the event of a new trial, prosecutors may seek permission for the current convictions to be presented as evidence of previous conduct. However, this is not automatic, and the judge will have to determine whether such evidence is admissible and fair.
Russell Brand denies the allegations and has previously stated that his sexual relationships were consensual.