Russell Brand sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison for rape and sexual assault

28 minutes ago

Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Joel Bennathan, described Brand as a "sexual predator" and criticised his "staggering arrogance".

Brand was sentenced to nine years for rape, with an additional 18 months, nine months and eight months for three counts of sexual assault.

He will serve two thirds of his sentence in prison before being released on licence, and will be liable to be recalled to custody if he breaches its terms, the judge said.

Brand will serve the sentences for the three counts of sexual assault concurrently, adding 18 months to his nine years for rape.

The disgraced entertainer was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, involving four women between 2004 and 2009.

The few days Brand has already spent in prison since Thursday will count towards his sentence, the judge said.

The guidelines state offenders jailed for four years or more for some serious violent or sexual offences will be released at the two thirds point. In Brand's case that would be seven years.

Once released, he is likely to spend the rest of his sentence on licence and will have to abide by specific rules such as wearing a tag. His sentence will not be included in the early release scheme. Sex offenders, along with murderers, are exempt from the scheme.

In his sentencing remarks, the judge paid tribute to the bravery of the women who gave evidence during the trial.

The judge also commended the Met Police for their "hard work in gathering evidence and taking great care with all women who testified".

Brand did not react in the dock as he was sentenced. Before being taken down to the cells, he mouthed "I love you" to his wife Laura Brand, who was in the court.

In total, Brand was sentenced to:

In further remarks, the judge said Brand's status protected him until 2023, when journalists from the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches outlined a series of misconduct allegations, leading to women making complaints to police.

He said Brand harboured a "casual arrogant disregard to any woman's right to say no to you", while his fame meant he believed "you could act when you liked and how you liked".

The judge said the evidence in the case also showed that Brand's entourage during the peak of his celebrity had "indulged your dreadful behaviour".

The former actor and comedian's wife Laura Brand was seated just a few feet away from the former comedian in the glass-walled dock as he was being sentenced.

Earlier, as he arrived in the dock on Monday morning, Brand mouthed to his wife: "It'll be okay, I don't know how, but it will", and he was seen praying and making a cross sign with his hand as the victim statements were read out.

Before Brand's sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements from the women he had been accused of assaulting.

One of the women, who spoke from behind a screen, said she had been in "shock and turmoil for years".

"I was extremely upset and traumatised," she said. "I didn't have any respect for myself. I was thinking I was damaged goods - scared of giving off signals that could be taken the wrong way."

She added: "I just want to say - a leopard may change its spots but it's still a leopard."

After the sentencing, one of Brand's victims said: "I am eternally grateful to the police and prosecution team for their support and for allowing my voice to be heard. I finally feel believed."

Another victim said: "I am grateful to the support from the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (IVSA), the police team who from the start took my testimony seriously and the prosecution team who have been with me throughout this process."

She added: "I do not believe that I could have come this far without them."

After the sentencing hearing, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: "Today's sentence marks a significant milestone in our investigation and means Russell Brand has been held accountable for his crimes.

"My thoughts today are with the women who came forward and made this investigation possible."

He added: "I hope today's outcome provides some measure of closure and allows them to continue rebuilding their lives."

The verdicts were delivered on Thursday following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.

Brand was found not guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.

He will automatically have to sign the Sex Offences' Register as part of his sentence because of the crimes he committed.

David Roberts, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We want to thank all the women who were at the heart of this case.

"They did not know each other, and each has carried what happened to them for almost two decades."

He added: "Today's sentence cannot undo the harm the victims have lived with, but we hope it brings them some measure of justice."

One of the women, who spoke from behind a screen, said she had been in "shock and turmoil for years" in her victim impact statement.

"I was extremely upset and traumatised," she said. "I didn't have any respect for myself. I was thinking I was damaged goods - scared of giving off signals that could be taken the wrong way."

She added: "I just want to say - a leopard may change its spots but it's still a leopard."

The prosecution later read a statement from another victim who was sexually assaulted by Brand in 2005.

"Russell Brand has managed to move on," the woman said in the statement. "This has had a lasting impact on my life. I recognise this now.

"However, over the years, hearing his voice on television or seeing his image has made me jump. I had a strong adverse reaction hearing his voice."

She added: "Russell Brand is a sexual predator who has no remorse... I just hope he is not allowed to hurt any more women."

The prosecution also read a statement from the woman Brand was found to have raped about how she felt after the assault.

"I felt anxious, humiliated and overwhelmed," she said. "I struggled to sleep and eat, I struggled to cope with my emotions, I had to take time away from my work," she said.

She continued: "I had to live with my parents, I sought help and support... I am living with trauma, something I carry every day.

"My confidence and self esteem have been badly affected. I no longer trust my instincts."

The woman said one of the worst parts of what happened was her fear that she might have contracted HIV. She also said she was in considerable pain after the assault.

Another woman, who was sexually assaulted while working on a Channel 4 project with Brand in 2009, said in a statement that she was "really upset" afterwards.

"I felt I lost my trust in people, I felt my working environment wasn't safe," she said. "I felt powerless in that moment and it had a knock-on effect on my confidence."

At the sentencing hearing, Brand's barrister Ian Winter KC put forward six character references, including one from Georgina Baillie, the granddaughter of the late actor Andrew Sachs.

Baillie was thrust into the spotlight in 2008 when Brand and Jonathan Ross left offensive messages about her on her grandfather's answering machine during a Radio 2 broadcast.

Winter said Georgina Baillie "was an alcoholic and now has been sober for six years because Mr Brand both persuaded her, then paid for her to go through rehabilitation".

Baillie, an actor and artist, had a relationship with Brand in the mid 2000s.

The defence barrister noted Baillie was the person "at the eye of the Sachsgate storm" for which Brand "was rightly, and he accepted, rightly pilloried for, for what he said was a disgraceful prank on live radio".

Winter also told the court that the former entertainer's wife Laura Brand, who gave evidence in her husband's defence during the trial, was experienceing "total devastation" at the verdicts.

He said Mr and Mrs Brand were "currently wrestling with how to exactly explain to a child who's just turned 10 what has happened here".

"It brings home the consequences of this conduct to totally innocent people who have been caught up in it," he said.

Sentencing Brand, the judge said: "I am very conscious that your imprisonment will deprive your children of the presence of their father.

"That sad loss to them, however, is caused by your serious offending."

You can follow analysis and further insights on the BBC podcast Russell Brand on Trial - available on BBC Sounds, YouTube, iPlayer, or wherever you get your BBC podcasts