Russell Brand will likely face a significant prison sentence after being found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults in a landmark verdict at Southwark Crown Court today. The 51-year-old comedian and actor was convicted following a four-week trial and was immediately remanded in custody. He will be sentenced on Monday, November 9, when the judge is expected to decide how long he will spend behind bars.
There is currently no definitive figure for Brand’s sentence. The judge warned that a “significant custodial term” would follow the rape conviction. In England and Wales, rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, although the actual punishment depends on the circumstances and seriousness of the offending. Sexual assault carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Brand had faced seven charges involving six women, relating to alleged incidents between 1999 and 2009. The jury found him guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and an attempted indecent assault. The convictions involved four women and included a rape at Brand’s home in Hampstead in 2009, as well as sexual assaults at a Soho bar and at a radio station.
Brand denied all the charges throughout the trial. He said he had engaged in “reckless philandering” in the past but insisted that sexual consent had always been fundamental to him. His defence argued that the encounters had been consensual and that some allegations had been reinterpreted years later. The jury nevertheless convicted him on four counts after more than eight hours of deliberation.
The verdict has also revived scrutiny of comments made about Brand by other celebrities. His former wife, singer Katy Perry, described his behaviour as “very controlling” when discussing their marriage in a 2013 Vogue interview. She said she had eventually realised their separation was “beyond” her and referred to a “real truth” she chose not to publicly disclose.
Australian singer Dannii Minogue was even more blunt after appearing on Brand’s MTV programme in 2006, describing him as a “vile predator” and saying he “wouldn’t take no for an answer”. Comedian Katherine Ryan has also previously spoken about her discomfort working alongside Brand.
Brand’s conviction marks a dramatic fall for a comedian who once enjoyed major television, radio and Hollywood success. He now faces the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence, with the final decision due in court on Monday.