Laura Gallacher, the wife of Russell Brand, shook her head in the public gallery at Southwark Crown Court as victim impact statements were read out ahead of her husband's sentencing. Brand is set to receive a custodial sentence after being found guilty of raping a fan in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women over five years.
Court Hearing Details
Gallacher, who married Brand in 2017, attended the hearing alongside Brand's father, Ron, to support him. The proceedings began with harrowing impact statements from Brand's victims, one of whom said she was left in 'shock and turmoil' and lost 'respect for herself.' Another described Brand as a 'sexual predator with no remorse.' The woman Brand raped in 2009 said she feared she had contracted HIV from him and has been 'living with trauma' since her ordeal.
Gallacher, an author, was seen shaking her head as the messages were read. She has stood by her husband throughout his trial, supporting him every day and only leaving early on the day he was found guilty. She appeared on the verge of tears as Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC, told the court he had spoken to her that morning and that words cannot describe "the total devastation she is experiencing."
Impact Statement from 2004 Assault Victim
One impact statement was shared by a woman whom Brand sexually assaulted at a London bar in 2004. She delivered her statement in court from behind a protective curtain, stating: "I wanted to express how this crime has affected me over the years. When it happened, I was in complete shock and turmoil for weeks, trying to process what had happened to me."
She went on to say that it was "impossible" to escape Brand in the media, adding: "[him] being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women like it was all a joke. There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around think he can get away with anything." The victim also told the court she had suffered her "only panic attack" after seeing media coverage of the allegations and that there had been "accusations and death threats" from Brand's supporters, which had "installed a genuine fear" that her identity would be disclosed.
Sentencing and Charges
Brand had faced seven charges in total: three of rape, three of sexual assault, and one of attempted indecent assault. He was acquitted of raping a woman at a hotel in Bournemouth in 1999. Mr Justice Bennathan refused to grant Brand bail, and he was immediately remanded in custody at HMP Wandsworth. The court also heard that Mr Winter said: "Mr and Mrs Brand are wrestling with how to explain to a child who has just turned ten what has happened here."
