Russell Brand Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison After Rape Conviction
The actor was also found guilty of three counts of sexual assault at his trial
Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison following his conviction on rape and sexual assault charges.
A jury in London found Brand guilty on four of the seven charges against him, including one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was found not guilty on two additional counts of rape, as well as one count of attempted indecent assault. The allegations against him were tied to claims made by six women between 1999 and 2009.
The bulk of Brand’s sentence was tied to the rape charge, for which the judge sentenced him to nine years in prison. Meanwhile, each of the three assault charges carried their own penalty: nine months, 18 months, and eight months. The assault sentences will be served concurrently, but consecutively with the sentence for the rape charge.
Brand will eventually be eligible for parole, but only after serving two-thirds of his sentence. That means he will spent at least seven years behind bars, and, if granted parole, would have to serve the remainder of his sentence under supervision and abiding by specific rules.
Prior to handing down Brand’s prison term, Judge Joel Bennathan explained how he would approach sentencing and recounted much of the testimony given by the women whose claims led to Brand’s conviction. In many instances, Bennathan was unsparing. He called Brand a sexual predator on several occasions, criticised the comedian’s “staggering arrogance,” and reprimanded his “belief that fame meant you could act how you like, when you liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live” (via The Guardian).
The judge also acknowledged several mitigating factors he considered when deciding Brand’s sentence. These included the work Brand has done helping those struggling with addiction, several character witnesses, and the fact that Brand has not been accused of any other crimes in the 17 years.
Right before handing down Brand’s sentence, Bennathan said he wanted to “pay tribute to the determination and bravery of all the woman whose evidence I have been recounting.” He added, “I do not increase your punishment because of it but all those women had to face being confronted and being told they lied, or twisted the truth, and or they’d agreed to your sexual demands. That was all done because of you, and your instructions.”
The rape count, the most severe charge Brand was found guilty of, had a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under British sentencing guidelines, but the more common term was four to 19 years behind bars.
Following Brand’s conviction on Thursday, the actor was remanded into custody; he had been out on bail during his trial. “A custodial sentence of some length will result,” the judge told Brand.
The rape conviction stemmed from a 2009 incident where a woman said in a police interview that she went to Brand’s home expecting to have consensual vaginal sex, but during intercourse Brand removed his condom and had anal sex with her.
“I said, ‘Can you stop?’” she told police of the incident. “I said it repeatedly.” The woman told some of her friends about the incident soon after, who later testified during Brand’s trial. Brand testified that the anal sex was consensual and she never told him to stop.
After Brand’s rape trial, London’s Met Police announced that two more women had come forward with allegations against the actor, which could result in more charges against Brand and another trial. Their investigation is ongoing.