Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, with the judge in the case revealing two mitigating factors that influenced the length of the term.
On Monday, Brand, 51, appeared in court where Mr Justice Bennathan handed down the custodial sentence. The judge criticised the disgraced comedian's "staggering arrogance" as he delivered the punishment.
Judge details Brand's fall from fame
Addressing Brand directly, the judge said: "About 20 years ago Russell Brand, you were becoming famous, you were clever, and in many people's eyes you were funny and charismatic." He added: "You had also become a sexual predator."
The judge stated that Brand's "status protected you" until 2023, when journalists from the Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches first reported a number of sexual misconduct allegations, which led to women making complaints to police.
During sentencing, the judge said Brand harboured a "casual arrogant disregard to any woman's right to say no to you", while his fame meant he believed "you could act when you liked and how you liked". The evidence also showed that Brand's entourage during his celebrity heyday had "indulged your dreadful behaviour".
Victims and court statements
One of Brand's fans told the court how she was raped as a 21-year-old by Brand in 2009 at his luxury London home. Female staffers at Channel 4, MTV, and Capital Radio also came forward to reveal how they had been sexually assaulted by the TV star.
Mr Justice Bennathan told the court: "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."
Mitigating factors and sentence breakdown
The judge noted that "imprisonment will deprive your children of the presence of their father, that sad loss to them however is caused by your serious offending."
Factors in mitigation for Brand included his lack of significant previous convictions and that "17 years had passed" since his final offence, as well as how Brand had lived his life subsequently, including helping those "wrestling with addictions".
The judge imposed a nine-year jail term for the rape and added an extra year and a half for the sexual assaults. Brand is expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence.
Brand's wife Laura Gallacher sat just a few feet away from the former stand-up comic in the glass-walled dock and has vowed to stand by her husband. Brand displayed no emotion in the dock as he was told his punishment, and he paused briefly to tell his wife "we'll be OK" as he was being led away to the cells.
