Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison after being convicted of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others.
The sentence was imposed at Southwark Crown Court in south London, where Judge Joel Bennathan described the former television personality and actor as a “sexual predator” who showed “staggering arrogance”.
Brand was found guilty last week of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two further rape charges and a charge of attempted indecent assault.
The offences included groping a woman’s breasts at a London bar in 2004, sexually assaulting a woman at a London radio station in 2004 and 2005, and raping a woman at his west London home in 2009.
He received nine years for the rape and a further 18 months for the sexual assaults. He is expected to serve at least seven years in prison, with the remainder of the sentence subject to strict restrictions, including electronic tagging.
Passing sentence, Judge Bennathan said Brand had believed that “fame meant you could act how you liked, when you liked”.
Six women made allegations against Brand relating to incidents between 1999 and 2009. Before sentencing, victim impact statements were read to the court, including one by a woman who gave evidence from behind a screen.
She said she had been “in shock and turmoil for years” and had felt “damaged goods”, adding that she was frightened of giving off signals that could be misunderstood.
Another woman described Brand as “a sexual predator who has no remorse” and said she hoped he would not be allowed to hurt any more women. The woman he was convicted of raping in 2009 said she had struggled to sleep, eat and cope with her emotions after the attack.
Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, told the court that his client was a “fundamentally different person today” from the man he had been when the rape took place. He described the offence as a “momentary total failure to respect [the woman’s] consent”.
Brand, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, had argued that the claims formed part of a coordinated attack on his character. He acknowledged having led a promiscuous life and being obsessed with sex when he was younger, but denied ever forcing anyone to do anything against their will.
He was refused bail after his conviction and remained in custody before the sentencing hearing. The judge rejected his request to spend time with his wife and children, saying: “The hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by their father.”
Police were also reported to be investigating further rape allegations made by two women, one of whom was 16 at the time of the alleged incident. The Metropolitan Police commissioner said he would not be surprised if more women came forward.
