Russell Brand is expected to receive a seven-to-eight-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault, according to a top criminal defence lawyer. The 51-year-old comedian will be sentenced today at Southwark Crown Court.
Matthew Claughton, managing director of Olliers Solicitors, told the Daily Mail that the length of the prison term will depend on the level of harm Brand's victims suffered. He also estimated how much of the sentence the star will actually serve.
Predicted Sentence and Licence Conditions
Claughton said: "I predict it will be around seven or eight years, of which he will serve two thirds. But upon release, it’s not all over because of the terms and conditions of his licence, which may involve wearing a tag for a year, being subject to the sex offenders register indefinitely - or at least for 15 years - as well as travel restrictions and the possibility of a sexual harm prevention order."
He added: "This could mean being prohibited from entering certain countries that don't allow convicted rapists to enter. It may rule out any travel to the States."
Claughton also noted: "That’s before you consider the possibility of civil proceedings from victims, ongoing criminal investigations and perhaps further prosecutions. He will have an awful lot on his plate from today, throughout his sentence and beyond."
Details of the Convictions
Brand was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court 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 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. The 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.
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.
If you or somebody you know has been affected by this story, contact Victim Support for free, confidential advice on 08 08 16 89 111 or visit their website.
