Russell Brand has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The 51-year-old comedian was convicted on Thursday (November 5) of offences against four women between 2004 and 2009.
Brand had been on trial accused of seven charges relating to six different women, including three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault between 1999 and 2009. He was acquitted of the remaining charges.
Old clip resurfaces after verdict
Following the guilty verdict, old videos of Brand have resurfaced, including a clip from 2013 in which he joked about raping and killing a woman on stage. During an appearance on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, Brand was explaining his background when he made the shocking remark.
"I'm just a bloke from Essex, from a single parent family that's a pretty comprehensive show off. So, if there's anything being protected, it's that," he said, before declaring: "Oh, I raped someone once!"
The joke was met with laughter from the crowd, while podcast host Herring appeared unsure what to say. Brand then remarked: "I killed her after."
Brand remanded in custody
Following the verdicts, Brand was refused bail and taken to HMP Wandsworth in south-west London. He was reportedly "petrified" to be spending his first night behind bars, with a source claiming he was "monitored around the clock".
"The first night for anyone in a jail is really daunting – and Brand was petrified. It will be a massive shock to the system to him and he will be monitored around the clock," the insider said.
"All prisoners have to strip off in reception which is humiliating and a real wake-up call. He will be in prison-issue clothes and given a first-night pack, which will be a world away from what he is used to. All his cockiness will disappear as he takes in his new surroundings."
Details of the offences
Jurors unanimously convicted Brand of offences against four women. They included the rape of a 21-year-old woman he met following a comedy gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. He was also convicted of sexually assaulting an MTV worker at a Soho bar, a woman at the Choice FM studios and a Channel 4 worker who had been forced to give him a massage.
Police revealed that Brand is being investigated over rape allegations from two more women, including one who was 16 years old at the time of the alleged incident. Brand is facing years in prison and will receive his sentence on Monday.
