Russell Brand sentenced to over 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years for raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others (Picture: Jordan Pettitt/Press Association) Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10-and-a-half years after being described as a ‘sexual predator’ by judge Mr Justice Bennathan. Brand appeared at Southwark Crown Court after spending the weekend at HMP Wandsworth in London, arriving in secure transport through the court’s gated side entrance.Last week the former comedian and actor, 51, was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial. Brand denied the charges.He was cleared of two further charges of rape and one allegation of attempted indecent assault. Sentencing Brand, Mr Justice Bennathan said he had ‘a casual and arrogant disregard for a woman’s right to say no to you’. The sentence covers the four charges Brand was convicted of, including nine years for the count of rape. The sentence also includes nine months for the count three sexual assault, 18 months for the count five sexual assault and eight months for the count seven sexual assault, with some time taken off due to mitigating factors, the judge said. The disgraced comedian and actor was warned to expect a long prison term (Picture: Neil Mockford/Getty Images) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Brand’s wife Laura was seen being supported on her way into Southwark Crown Court this morning (Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock) A court artist sketch of Russell Brand in the dock at Southwark Crown Court today (Picture: Elizabeth Cook/Press Association) The judge told Brand ‘imprisonment will deprive your children of the presence of their father, that sad loss to them however is caused by your serious offending’. Brand showed no emotion as the sentence was passed, but told his wife ‘we’ll be okay’ as he was taken downstairs by the dock officers. Brand’s wife, Laura Gallacher, was seen being supported by a friend while arriving at court this morning ahead of the sentencing hearing, giving a thumbs up towards a supporter. In the courtroom she was seen taking deep breaths and holding the hands of two women sitting either side of her. She was later seen shaking her head as the first impact statement from one of her husband’s victims was read out. Wearing the dark grey suit and white shirt he appeared in when he was convicted last week, Brand entered the courtroom and mouthed ‘are you ok?’ to his wife, who responded with a nod. Entering the dock, Brand turned to his wife in the public gallery and mouthed: ‘It’ll be okay, I don’t know how, but it will.’ Gallacher said ‘oh God’ as she saw Brand enter, before telling him: ‘I love you.’ Russell Brand's sentencing The jail term covers the four charges Brand was convicted of: Nine years for the count of rape Nine months for the count three sexual assault 18 months for the count five sexual assault Eight months for the count seven sexual assault, with some time taken off due to mitigating factors. The judge said he would likely serve two thirds of this sentence The court was told that Brand’s wife Laura, who has been married to him for more than 10 years, is ‘standing by him’ (Picture: AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The sentencing hearing saw harrowing victim impact statements relayed to the court, with one, read by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC, saying: ‘His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.’ Mitigating for the disgraced comedian, Ian Winter KC, called Brand ‘a man that went too far’ in regard to the consent that had been given and said there was ‘no planning, no premeditation’ involved in the anal rape. He urged the judge to take it into consideration, and ‘not sentence (Brand) as the monster portrayed outside this courtroom’. Brand was found guilty of raping a 21-year-old fan after meeting her at a 2009 stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo, while his final two convictions saw him found guilty of kissing and groping a Capital Radio worker in a corridor in 2005, as well as groping an MTV worker during a party at a Soho bar in 2004. It was later revealed that in the course of the trial he has been additionally accused of raping two more women, including a 16-year-old girl, and could face further criminal charges in the future. His barrister, Ian Winter KC, lost his plea for Brand to be given bail over the weekend as an ‘act of humanity’ so that he could say goodbye to his children, with the judge refusing it through fears he would flee instead of returning to court. Brand’s father Ron was pictured arriving at Southwark Crown Court this morning (Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock) Mr Justice Bennathan warned Brand last week that he faced an inevitable and lengthy jail term for his crimes.After the verdict was read, Brand turned to his wife and told her: ‘I love you’. However, he showed no visible emotion, remaining expressionless as he heard he had been found guilty of four offences.Gallacher reportedly hunched forward when the judge said Brand would spend time in prison and bowed her head when the first guilty verdict was read. The impact statement from one of Russell Brand’s victims ‘I wanted to express how this crime has affected me over the years. When it happened, I was in complete shock and turmoil for weeks trying to process what had happened to me. ‘I was extremely upset and traumatised. It really affected how I viewed myself, I didn’t have any respect for myself and got into situations with toxic men as I didn’t have any self-worth. ‘I literally lost any love for myself for a long time thinking that I was damaged goods. ‘For many years as his star was rising it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women like it was all a joke. ‘There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around think he can get away with anything. ‘I felt like my life was on hold for all of that time waiting my time to speak out about what happened to me. ‘As they say a leopard may change its spots but at the end of the day it’s still a leopard and not a gazelle.’ A prisoner transport van leaves HMP Wandsworth in south London (Picture: James Manning/Press Association) The Metropolitan Police released footage from four separate police interviews conducted with Brand between 2023 and 2025 (Picture: Metropolitan Police/Press Association) Brand was described as ‘unstoppable’ during the height of his comedy success (Picture: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images) Brand was supported by his wife during the trial (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Shutterstock) The allegations, made by six female complainants, spanned a 10-year period between 1999 and 2009.Appearing in the witness box at Southwark Crown Court during the trial, Brand said the criminal case had been a ‘deeply traumatic episode’ in his life. He said he had achieved ‘staggering fame’ after his marriage to pop star Katy Perry, but since a 2023 investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches into the allegations surrounding him, nobody would ‘touch [him] with a bargepole’.‘Consent is absolutely non-negotiable,’ he said, adding that he was ‘innocent’ of all the charges.‘Consent is fundamental, essential, necessary and, indeed, in many ways more important than sex itself,’ he told the court.Giving evidence for more than four hours, Brand said he had dedicated much of his life to ‘beyond reckless philandering and idiocy’, saying he had been wrong to use his fame to get sex. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russell Brand: Trial verdicts at a glance Found guilty of four offences: One count of rape. Three counts of sexual assault. Raped a 21-year-old fan after meeting her at a 2009 stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo. Sexually assaulted a Channel 4 worker in 2009 after she was forced to give him a massage. Kissed and groped a Capital Radio worker in a corridor in 2005. Groped an MTV worker at a Soho bar in 2004. Found not guilty of three charges: Two counts of rape. One count of attempted indecent assault. The jury cleared him of raping an MTV worker in a toilet in 2004. He was also cleared of raping a woman he met at a cabaret show during the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth. He was found not guilty of attempting to drag an MTV worker into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001. The trial: The trial took place at Southwark Crown Court and lasted nearly four weeks. The jury deliberated for eight and a half hours before reaching its verdicts. Brand showed no emotion as the verdicts were delivered. The jury was shown archival topless photographs of Brand from 1999 (Picture: METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE) Brand said he had failed to find any friends and former colleagues who would give evidence in his trial (Picture: REUTERS) Brand said he had failed to find any friends and former colleagues who would give evidence in his defence, recounting being blocked from visiting his baby son when he was having open heart surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital in the wake of the 2023 allegations.The trial also saw his wife, with whom Brand shares three children with, give evidence. Gallacher told the court she and Brand fell in love after meeting in 2006, but that the comedian was unfaithful to her early in their relationship.‘I wasn’t interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people. I was invested, we both had told each other we loved each other, but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous,’ she said.She insisted Brand was a ‘wonderful father’ and ‘amazingly attentive husband’, adding: ‘We have a very frank, honest and clear relationship and marriage.’Following Brand’s conviction, Prime Minister Andy Burnham praised the bravery of his victims as he condemned the former actor’s ‘horrifying’ actions.Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said he would not be surprised if ‘many more’ alleged victims of Brand now came forward. What to do if you've been raped If you have been the victim of rape, either recently or historically, and are looking for help, support is out there. If you have recently been raped and you are still at risk, ring 999 and ask for the police. Otherwise, the first step is to go somewhere you are safe. If you want to report your rape to the police, ring 999 or the police non-emergency line on 101. An Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) will often be on hand to help you through reporting and even after you have made a statement, you can still decide to withdraw from the criminal justice process at any time. If you plan on going to the police, if possible, do not wash your clothes or shower, bathe or brush your teeth. If you do get changed, keep the clothes you were wearing in a plastic bag. These steps will help to preserve any DNA evidence your attacker may have left on your body or clothes. If you don’t want to contact the police, Rape Crisis suggest talking to someone you trust about what has happened; or you can ring one of the UK’s many rape and sexual assault helplines. Anyone aged 16+ can contact Rape Crisis's 24/7 Support Line by calling 0808 500 2222 or starting an online chat. If you have been injured, you’re best advised to go to your nearest A&E to seek medical treatment. If you are uninjured, you can go to your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). The NHS has information on where to find your nearest centre here. If your rape is historic, you can still access support, including from the police – there is no time limit on reporting and your account can still be used as evidence. Read more here. Deals of the Day The Orlando holiday deal Disney fans shouldn't miss We're adding this discounted NEOM gift set straight to basket Want an LED face mask for less? This Black Friday deal could save you hundreds This teeth whitening sale could save you up to 64% before Black Friday The best Black Friday sleep deals to upgrade your bedroom with Simba’s 33% off sale Arrow MORE: Andy Burnham says Brand victims will ‘change the system’ with their bravery Arrow MORE: Russell Brand ‘banned from BBC offices after flashing woman in toilet’ Arrow MORE: Vanessa Feltz recounts ‘disgusting’ comments Russell Brand made about 15-year-old daughter Switched On Get plugged into the week’s must-watch shows, unmissable moments, and expert reviews with Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr.