Russell Brand's father, Ron Brand, has defended his son after the comedian was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison. Ron Brand said it is "possible" the jury in the case were "corrupt" but added that his son is "strong" as he heads to jail. He also suggested Russell was the "victim" of the trial.
Conviction at Southwark Crown Court
On Thursday, the 51-year-old former stand-up comic was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of raping a woman and sexually assaulting female TV and radio workers.
A four-week trial heard how Brand preyed on women that he encountered on his way to becoming one of Britain's best-known comedians, a lauded TV and radio host, and a Hollywood actor who was briefly married to singer Katy Perry.
Details of the offences
Brand was convicted by the jury of raping a 21-year-old fan in 2009, after meeting her following one of his stand-up shows at the Hammersmith Apollo. The woman told jurors she was a huge Brand fan and had willingly engaged in a threesome with him backstage despite having a boyfriend at the time.
She agreed to go to Brand's Hampstead home for sex a few days later, but a consensual encounter turned into rape when the comedian suddenly forced the woman into anal sex.
Another woman told the court how her breasts were groped by Brand in the Nordic bar in Soho, just seconds after she had been introduced to him at a 2004 party. She recalled Brand's "weird" grin as he carried out the sexual assault.
In 2005, Brand kissed and groped a third woman during a visit to the Capital Radio studios in London, pouncing on her as she walked out of a room. Brand was also convicted of putting his head into the groin of a female Channel 4 worker, after she had been forced to give him a massage in 2009.
Denial and response
Brand denied all the charges and claimed to have only ever had consensual sex during a "promiscuous" life, which he insisted had been packed with "idiocy" but never illegal.
