Russell Brand sentenced to total of 10 years and six months for rape and sexual assault

Former comedian Russell Brand has been sentenced to a total of 10 years and six months for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three more between 2004 and 2009. Earlier on Monday, the victims of Brand (51), once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters and star of ​Hollywood movies said he was a “sexual predator” who had caused them lasting harm.Brand was convicted at Southwark crown court on Thursday. As the victims’ statements were heard in court on Monday, Brand sat in the dock, wearing a ⁠grey suit and open-necked white shirt and occasionally turning round towards his wife Laura Gallacher in the public gallery, ‌as ‌one ​of his victims read out an impact statement in person.READ MOREShe accused Brand of sexually assaulting her in 2004 and then orally raping her. Brand was convicted of sexual assault but ⁠acquitted of rape.“I wanted to express how this ​crime has affected me over the years,” she said from ​behind a screen. “When it happened, I was in complete shock and turmoil for weeks.”She added that an “undeserved feeling of ‌shame and ‘what if I had done this or done ​that’ has been carried round inside me for over 20 years”.Another woman, whom Brand sexually assaulted in 2004 ⁠or 2005, said he was a “sexual predator who ⁠has no remorse”.Brand’s victims ​also spoke about the impact of his public profile, with a woman whom Brand anally raped in 2009 saying his fame made it “difficult to escape reminders of what had happened”.Russell Brand's wife Laura Gallacher arriving at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/Press Association Last Thursday, Brand was found guilty at Southwark crown court of raping a woman in 2009, as well as sexually assaulting female television and radio workers between 2004 and 2009.A prison van carrying Brand arrived at the court shortly after 10am.A pro-Brand protester carrying a large banner covered in Christian crosses shouted “Russell is the truth, that’s why he’s getting crucified, because he’s outing the media” as the vehicle slowly turned the corner towards the court’s gate.Brand’s wife arrived at the court on Monday morning. Wearing sunglasses, a blazer and a polo neck jumper, she appeared to turn and give a thumbs up towards a protester shouting in support of her husband.Gallacher left the court in tears last week after the guilty verdicts, while Brand was last seen mouthing “I’m okay” to his lawyers before being led to the cells.A four-week trial heard how Brand preyed on women that he encountered on his way to becoming one of Britain’s best-known comedians, a lauded television and radio host, and a Hollywood actor who was briefly married to singer Katy Perry.[ From celebrity guru to convicted rapist: The rise and fall of Russell BrandOpens in new window ]He claimed to have only ever had consensual sex during a “promiscuous” life, which he insisted had been packed with “idiocy” but never illegal.But his victims told a different story, of a famous and powerful man who kissed and groped women within seconds of meeting them, pursued his sexual ambitions relentlessly, and laughed at and gaslit women after the attacks.Friends and former colleagues of Brand also came forward to give evidence of his ambition to sleep with 5,000 women, an “insane” sexual appetite, and his bad behaviour towards women being “normalised” as he became increasingly famous.Brand was convicted by the jury of raping a 21-year-old fan in 2009, after meeting her following one of his stand-up shows at the Hammersmith Apollo.The woman told jurors she was a huge Brand fan and had willingly engaged in a threesome with him backstage despite having a boyfriend at the time.She agreed to go to Brand’s Hampstead home for sex a few days later, but a consensual encounter turned into rape when the comedian suddenly forced the woman into anal sex.Another woman told the court how her breasts were groped by Brand in the Nordic bar in Soho, just seconds after she had been introduced to him at a 2004 party.She recalled Brand’s “weird” grin as he carried out the sexual assault, brazenly grabbing her in the middle of a packed bar.In 2005, Brand kissed and groped a third woman during a visit to the Capital Radio studios in London, pouncing on her as she walked out of a room.She remembers looking to Brand’s entourage for help but no one came to her aid, before she eventually managed to push the comedian away.Brand was also convicted of putting his head into the groin of a female Channel 4 worker, after she had been forced to give him a massage in 2009.The woman told the court how Brand had refused to continue a recording session unless she massaged him, and members of his entourage encouraged it instead of protecting her.Brand was also confronted by his owns words from his 2007 book, My Booky Wook, during the trial, including a boast that he would not relent in his pursuit of sex before getting his “birthright orgasm”.Brand, who claimed to be the victim of a media conspiracy, was convicted by the jury of rape and three sexual assaults, and cleared of two further charges of rape and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.Russell Brand outside Southwark Crown Court, London last week. Photograph: James Manning/Press Association In the wake of his convictions, the Metropolitan Police revealed that Brand is under investigation over two further rape allegations.Met Commissioner Mark Rowley said his officers are braced for “many, many more” possible victims of Brand to come forward, while UK prime minister Andy Burnham called Brand’s crimes “horrifying”.The UK’s culture secretary Lisa Nandy warned there has not been enough change in media organisations to stop celebrities like Brand from preying on women.“We need far more robust processes in place to protect women like the women who bravely came forward in the Russell Brand case to make sure that they are protected and treated seriously,” she said on Sunday.“Hand on heart, I don’t think we can say that this couldn’t happen today.”One of the comedian’s former producers, Jack Bayles, who was accused of encouraging the 2009 forced massage, has been asked to “step back” from production of two BBC sitcoms by TV production company Various Artists Limited in the wake of the verdicts.And the Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman has called for a new legal duty on judges to direct juries on rape myths and misconceptions, if they have been ventured during a trial.The call came after Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter, put forward arguments that the comedian could not be a rapist as his accusers had not screamed, fought back, or run away when they were being attacked.In an astonishing incident after the guilty verdicts, Winter was also seen verbally abusing Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin in the courthouse corridor.Newspapers report the guilty verdict following the conclusion of the trial of Russell Brand last week. Photograph: William J Connolly/Getty Images Urwin was one of the journalists who first exposed Brand as a sexual predator, and a centrepiece of Brand’s defence case had been that media reporting had tainted the evidence in the criminal trial.Winter announced on Friday that he has self-referred himself to the Bar Standards Board after seeing media reports of the incident at court.Brand, who boasts millions of online followers and had still been broadcasting his Christian sermons during the trial, has now spent four nights in prison since the conclusion of his trial.The judge has already warned him to expect a lengthy prison sentence. – PA[ From celebrity guru to convicted rapist: the rise and fall of Russell BrandOpens in new window ][ Russell Brand suspected to have attacked at least 10 other womenOpens in new window ]