A London judge handed the entertainer a prison term of 10 years and six months following his conviction for sexual offenses against four women.
A London judge sentenced Russell Brand on Monday to 10 years and six months in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009.
Judge Joel Bennathan handed down the punishment at Southwark Crown Court, telling the 51-year-old actor and comedian that his fame and an indulgent entourage had protected him for years, BBC News reported. The judge described Brand as a “sexual predator” and rebuked his staggering arrogance toward women.
Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault last week following a four-week trial. Jurors found him guilty of anally raping a 21-year-old woman at his London home in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women, while clearing him of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.
How the sentence is structured
The sentence includes nine years’ imprisonment for the 2009 rape count, Deadline reported. Bennathan imposed additional concurrent terms for the three sexual assault convictions: 18 months, nine months, and eight months. That adds 18 months to the nine-year rape sentence, bringing the total term to 10 and a half years.
The 18-month assault term stems from an incident at the Choice FM radio studios in London in 2004 or 2005, where Brand grabbed a woman’s face, kissed her, and touched her breasts and bottom. The nine-month term addresses an assault at a London bar birthday party in 2004, where he grabbed a woman’s breasts. The eight-month term relates to a 2009 Channel 4 project, during which he put his head into a female coworker’s groin without consent.
Brand will serve two-thirds of the sentence, or seven years, behind bars before being eligible for release on licence. The few days he spent in custody after last week’s verdict will count toward the total. Brand’s crimes make him ineligible for early release schemes, and he must sign the Sex Offences Register automatically upon release.
Testimony from accusers
Victims gave statements to the court on Monday describing lasting psychological harm from Brand’s actions, PBS NewsHour reported. One woman spoke from behind a curtain to shield her identity, recalling how she lived in turmoil for years while seeing Brand celebrated across television and radio.
Another victim, whom Brand raped in 2009 after meeting her backstage at a comedy show, said in a statement read by prosecutors that she suffered anxiety, struggled to eat and sleep, and feared contracting HIV. She explained that Brand’s wealth and status created an imbalance that made her feel powerless.
Brand’s defense barrister, Ian Winter, asked the judge for leniency, pointing out that Brand had only one prior conviction for marijuana possession in 1995. Winter noted Brand’s charitable work, his efforts helping others overcome substance abuse, and the hardship a lengthy prison term would cause his wife and three young children. Winter previously argued as Brand testified in London that his client never engaged in non-consensual sexual acts.
What happens next
Brand will serve his time in British prison before his eventual release on licence, where he will face supervision rules such as wearing an electronic tag. If he breaches the terms of his release, authorities can recall him to custody.
The criminal proceedings may not be entirely finished. London’s Metropolitan Police said after the verdict that investigators have forwarded findings from inquiries into two additional rape allegations against Brand to prosecutors, NBC News reported. The Crown Prosecution Service will decide whether further charges will follow.
