‘Sexual predator’ Brand jailed for 10-and-a-half years

Comedian Russell Brand has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years after he was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three more about two decades ago.

Brand – the former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry who in recent ‌years moved away ‌from the ⁠mainstream – was convicted on Thursday of raping one woman ​and sexually assaulting three more between 2004 and 2009.

He had denied all the charges.

The 51-year-old stood in the dock at London’s Southwark Crown Court as Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced him to 10 years and six months in prison.

Brand will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody before being released on licence.

The judge said Brand was a sexual predator who believed “fame meant you could act how you liked, when you liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live”.

“Whatever women wear, wherever they go, indeed whatever they drink, they retain the right to say no and to ‌demand justice from the criminal ‌courts when sexual predators like ⁠you, Russell Brand, act without their consent,” the judge said.

Brand had shown “staggering arrogance” and “casual disrespect” around his victims, the judge added in handing out the sentence.

Brand – who rose to fame as a TV presenter known for his loquacious manner and flamboyant appearance and ‌starred in films such ​as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and Arthur had denied ever having non-consensual sex.

He acknowledged in evidence he had dedicated a lot of his life to what he described as “reckless ​philandering and idiocy” although ‌he said sexual consent was fundamental.

But, after a four-week trial, Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three sexual assaults.

He was acquitted of two other ​rape charges and an attempted indecent assault.

One of Brand’s ‌victims, ​whom Brand anally raped in 2009, said in a statement read by prosecutors that ​the trauma of the ‌attack was “something I carry with me every day and it often feels never-ending”.

Brand’s ​lawyer Ian Winter said Brand – who has spoken at length about his recovery from drink and drug addiction and his new-found Christian faith – was “a fundamentally ​different person ​today and has been for ​a very long time”.

Brand showed no emotion as he was sentenced but told his wife Laura Gallacher “we’ll be okay” as he was taken away by the dock officers.

The couple shared a brief conversation before Brand was taken downstairs.

Gallacher was seen breathing deeply and muttering “it’s okay, it’s okay” as a large posse of people ushered her through the corridors of the court.

Earlier on Monday, Brand started to pray and also told his wife “it’ll be okay” as he entered the dock to be sentenced.

Brand had spent the last four nights in HMP Wandsworth.

As he entered the dock on Monday, 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 the dock, before telling him: “I love you”.

Brand, who was known for edgy stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, rose to prominence in the early 2000s hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show.

A prison van believed to be carrying Brand later left Southwark Crown Court to transport him to jail.

A crucifix and a suit jacket could be seen through the window of the van which was chased by photographers.

with PA and AP

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028