Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
Mr Justice Joel Bennathan imposed the sentence at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, following a four-week trial concerning allegations dating from 2004 to 2009. Brand, 51, was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
The judge told the former comedian and broadcaster that he had shown a “casual and arrogant disregard” for women who said no to him, placing the offences in the context of his rise to fame.
Brand was cleared of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault. The jury, comprising eight men and four women, deliberated for more than eight hours before returning its verdicts on Thursday.
Russell Brand sentenced after Southwark Crown Court trial
The offences involved six women and were alleged to have taken place at locations including a London home, a hotel, the offices of MTV, a radio station, a recording studio and a bar.
Brand denied all the allegations and told the court that his sexual encounters had been consensual. His barrister, Ian Winter, argued that behaviour which was offensive or immoral did not necessarily amount to a criminal offence.
Prosecutors described Brand as a calculated and manipulative sexual predator who used his growing celebrity status to pursue women regardless of whether they consented. The Crown Prosecution Service said the case had focused on the actions of the defendant rather than the behaviour of the complainants.
The Metropolitan Police said detectives had gathered evidence from more than 100 witnesses and reviewed thousands of documents during the investigation. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy described the convictions as a testament to the “extraordinary courage, resilience and determination” of the women who reported Brand.
The complainants have lifelong anonymity under English law.
Brand was taken into custody after the verdict when the judge rejected an application for bail so he could see his children. Mr Justice Bennathan said the hardship caused to them resulted from “serious criminal offending by their father” and warned that Brand could pose a flight risk.
Brand closed his eyes when the guilty verdict on the rape charge was read but otherwise showed little emotion. After bail was refused, he told his lawyers repeatedly: “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good,” before being taken away.
Once a prominent figure in British entertainment, Brand hosted television programmes and a BBC radio show before appearing in Hollywood films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. He was briefly married to singer Katy Perry.
In recent years, he moved away from mainstream entertainment and built a large online following through videos about wellness, conspiracy theories and religion.
