Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison on Monday November 9 for rape and sexual assault, a date that falls exactly 15 years after the funeral of Jimmy Savile.
The former comedian waved goodbye to his family and stepped down in the dock to begin the lengthy sentence, with it expected that he will serve around two thirds of that time behind bars. Brand, convicted of rape and sexual assault, was called "arrogant" and "manipulative" during sentencing, with the victims applauded for standing up in such a public case to make sure justice was served.
Sentencing at Southwark Crown Court
Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced the disgraced comedian at Southwark Crown Court and said: "Whatever women wear, wherever they go, whatever they drink, they retain the right to say no and demand justice in the criminal courts when sexual predators like you, Mr Brand, act without their consent."
Brand remained silent as he was told his sentence and barely reacted. He briefly paused as he was led from the court to mouth "I love you" to his wife, Laura Gallacher. Laura kept her eyes on the floor as the judge read out his sentencing remarks, occasionally glancing at her husband as he sat in the dock. As he was led into the dock before he was sentenced, his wife could be seen saying "oh god" before mouthing "I love you" when he turned to look at her.
Coincidence with Savile's funeral
In a coincidental turn of events, it emerged that Brand was jailed 15 years to the day that another sex predator was buried. Jimmy Savile's funeral took place on November 9, 2011 at Leeds Cathedral. The massive event happened in the centre of the monster's hometown, and saw hundreds arrive to pay tribute to the former TV favourite, before all of his horror crimes had been exposed.
Hundreds of fans gathered in the city centre to pay their respects as the former DJ and presenter made his final journey through the city, passing Sir Jimmy's childhood home and Leeds General Infirmary where he had often worked. Hundreds of people had earlier gathered at the Queen's Hotel, where his gold-coloured coffin had been on public display. Relatives and friends entitled to access a private room to view his body had been given special Jim'll Fix It badges to get in.
Savile's crimes exposed posthumously
But his memory was soon tarnished, when he was exposed posthumously as one of the most prolific sexual predators in British history. The abuse spanned more than five decades, primarily from the mid-1950s through the late 2000s, before he died in October 2011 at the age of 84. Official investigations by the Metropolitan Police began and the NSPCC launched in partnership with police Operation Yewtree, which encouraged anyone that had been abused by the paedophile to come forward.
Eventually they recorded hundreds of victims ranging in age from 5 to 75, with the vast majority being children and teenage girls. Savile leveraged his celebrity status, charitable work, and access to public institutions to target vulnerable individuals with hordes of allegations tied to medical facilities where he had volunteer or access roles, most notably Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where victims included disabled spinal patients and children as young as 8, as well as Leeds General Infirmary, Broadmoor Hospital, and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Abuse also happened at the BBC and in school and care homes.
The full extent of his crimes came to light following an ITV documentary broadcast in October 2012, a year after his death, and triggered massive public inquiries leading eventually to the systematic removal of his memorials and public honours. During last Thursday's court hearing, Brand was also found not guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
