Russell Brand's wife Laura Gallacher had to be steadied by a security guard and appeared on the verge of collapse as she left Southwark Crown Court on Thursday after a jury convicted her husband of rape and three sexual assaults. The jury took eight hours and 30 minutes of deliberations to reach its verdicts.
Laura Gallacher's visible distress
Laura, the younger sister of TV star Kirsty Gallacher and daughter of golf legend Bernard, left the court aided by the guard following the verdicts, with a female friend holding her hand. The children's author and illustrator, 39, appeared tearful and struggled to breathe, reports the Mirror.
Upon hearing that Brand would be remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing on Monday, Laura turned towards a wall and covered her mouth with her hand in apparent shock. She had accompanied her husband throughout his nearly month-long trial, sitting beside the dock as six complainants gave evidence, including testimony described as harrowing.
Support throughout the trial
Laura was a constant presence during proceedings and regularly waited near the dock's door to greet Brand as he left court. At times, the pair were seen smiling at one another and exchanging words of support, with Brand asking his wife: "You alright, darling?"
The couple also appeared united outside court, with Laura continuing to support him during their daily journeys to the trial. Speaking on their podcast, Stay Free, Laura previously described the nerves she felt approaching the court building.
She said: "As soon as I see the name of the street I get nervous, I think this is it now. On Battlebridge Road you don your armour, that's what I feel."
Background and next steps
Laura also revealed how the couple and their entourage found comfort in reading psalms together during their chauffeur-driven journeys to court. Brand, who showed little emotion during the verdict hearing, will be sentenced on Monday after being remanded in custody.
The couple first got together in 2006 before splitting a year later. They reunited in 2015 and married in 2017 in a ceremony near their Oxfordshire home. They have three children together, with their eldest celebrating their tenth birthday during the trial.
