Russell Brand sentenced to 10½ years in prison for rape and sexual assault

Comedian and actor Russell Brand has been sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after a jury found him guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others, crimes that the court said took place while his profile as an entertainer — and his boasting about sexual conquests — was rising.

Judge: a pattern of contempt

The sentencing judge, Joel Benathan, told Brand he had shown "a casual and arrogant contempt" for women. Benathan also addressed Brand's rise to fame in his remarks: "About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you started to become famous. You were clever — and in the eyes of many, funny and charismatic. But you became a sexual predator."

The jury, made up of eight men and four women, convicted Brand on four of the six charges brought by his accusers, related to incidents dating from 2004. He was acquitted on two counts of rape and on one count of attempted sexual assault. Brand, 51, has repeatedly denied the allegations and said his encounters were consensual.

In court Brand showed little visible emotion. After the sentence was announced and court officers moved to detain him, he looked toward his wife and — in a quiet exchange heard by those present — told her, "We'll be fine." He had attended the hearing accompanied by his wife, Laura, who entered the building separately, and by his father, Ron Brand.

During the trial Brand had been on bail; he was taken into custody following the verdict. The women who accused him spoke out publicly after a 2023 investigation by national media which carried accounts from several women alleging sexual abuse and degrading behaviour by Brand. One of the women whose case led to a conviction gave evidence in court about the impact of the offences, while statements from other complainants were read aloud by the prosecutor.

Photo: press material from the event