Russell Brand faces a significant prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of rape and sexual assault on Thursday. The 51-year-old comedian, who rose to fame as a stand-up, TV and radio host, and Hollywood actor, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court.
Verdicts and Charges
The jury found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, after deliberating for eight and a half hours. He was cleared of two further counts of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
Specifically, Brand was convicted of raping a 21-year-old fan he met after a 2009 stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo. He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting an MTV worker at a Soho bar in 2004, a Capital Radio worker in 2005, and a Channel 4 worker in 2009.
Courtroom Reaction
Brand showed no emotion as the verdicts were read. He told his wife, Laura Gallacher, “I love you” after entering the dock, and replied “yes My Lord” when he was remanded into custody. Gallacher, who attended court daily and gave evidence in his defence, was later seen leaving without him.
The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, told Brand the verdicts carry an inevitable consequence. “You’ve been convicted of a number of offences including rape. The consequence of that is inevitably a significant custodial term,” he said. The judge remanded Brand into custody ahead of sentencing on Monday.
Defence and Next Steps
Brand’s legal team had applied for bail, arguing he should have a chance to say goodbye to his children. The judge described the case as “very well prepared”. Brand had claimed he was the victim of a media conspiracy and insisted that consent was “more important than sex itself”.
