Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape, sexual assaults

Four women described the lasting effects of Brand’s attacks, including damaged trust and years of struggling to understand what had happened to them, as police confirm further investigations into the disgraced comedian.MANCHESTER, England (CN) — Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison Monday after a jury convicted the comedian of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others, with a judge describing him as a sexual predator whose celebrity status had protected him for years.Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand, 51, he had used his public standing to shield himself from accountability before women came forward following media reports in 2023.Brand will likely serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on parole, the judge said.The sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London followed a four-week trial in which jurors found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women between 2004 and 2009.He was acquitted of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.The court heard victim impact statements from the women, who described the lasting effects of the attacks on their confidence, relationships and ability to feel safe.One woman, who asked to deliver her statement in person, said she initially experienced shock after the attack and lost her sense of self-worth.“I literally lost any love for myself for a long time, thinking I was damaged goods,” she told the court.She said confusion about what she should or could have done had stayed with her for more than 20 years. Seeing Brand celebrated in the media made her physically sick, she said, particularly as his public profile grew while she struggled with the consequences of the attack.Another woman, who was raped by Brand at his home in Hampstead in 2009, said she had to take time off work and return to live with her parents following the attack.“It’s something I carry with me every day and it often feels never-ending,” she said in a statement read by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones.She added she had lost confidence in her judgment and no longer trusted her instincts as she once had.A third woman, who was sexually assaulted at a radio station in 2005, said Brand appeared to have moved on and forgotten the incident, despite the destruction it caused her.“This has had a lasting impact on my life even if I thought that I had successfully buried what happened,” she said.The final woman, who was assaulted while Brand was filming a project in 2009, said the incident had destroyed her previous sense of innocence and made her feel unsafe in professional settings.She said she subsequently lost trust in people and made a point of ensuring a colleague was present whenever she was alone in a room at work.Judge rejects character argumentBefore passing sentence, Bennathan praised the women for their determination and bravery in giving evidence.He told Brand his public standing had protected him until 2023, when media reports prompted more women to come forward.“Those public declarations that you were a sex offender empowered a number of women to come forward and tell their stories of your activities many years before,” the judge said.“You had also become a sexual predator,” he added.Bennathan considered Brand’s lack of significant previous convictions, the 17 years since his last offense and his charitable work, including helping people struggling with addiction by funding treatment.However, he said good character and exemplary conduct would not normally justify a significant reduction in a prison sentence.The judge reduced the sentence for rape by one year to account for those mitigating factors.He rejected the defense’s request to consider Brand’s role as a father, saying imprisonment would deprive his children of their father’s presence but that the loss was caused by Brand’s own offending.Brand’s lawyer, Ian Winter, told the court his wife, Laura Brand, was standing by him and was devastated by the outcome.Brand showed no emotion as the sentence was passed.As court officers escorted him away, he briefly spoke to his wife and told her: “We’ll be OK.”Prime Minister Andy Burnham praised the women for coming forward and said their bravery could help bring wider changes to the criminal justice system.He said he had committed to ensuring every police force in the country had dedicated rape and serious sexual offense teams by the end of next year.He added that the government would pursue improvements to support victims.Police urge other victims to come forwardThe Metropolitan Police described the sentence as a significant milestone in its investigation.Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy praised the women for their bravery and resilience throughout what he described as a lengthy investigation and challenging trial.Furphy urged people to report rape and other sexual offenses to police, regardless of how long ago it happened or who was responsible.While this trial is over, Brand remains under investigation by the Metropolitan Police over separate rape accusations made by two other women.Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead is based in England.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads