Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault, and was taken directly into custody as the hearing at Southwark Crown Court ended.
A crucifix and a suit similar to the one Brand has been wearing were spotted through the window of the secure prison van as it pulled away from court. Photographers captured what many saw as a final, symbolic image from the trial.
Religious Displays During Proceedings
Brand was seen clutching a crucifix during his sentencing hearing and repeatedly throughout the trial, in what appeared to be a public display of his Christian faith, which he converted to in early 2024. Religion remained an ever-present theme during proceedings, with Brand later posting an hour-long “Sunday Service” after the first week of the trial.
In the video, he read aloud passages from Ephesians while dressed in a leopard-print dressing gown, the Telegraph reported. On Sunday (November 8), Det Insp Laura Nelson, a senior officer in the investigation, said Brand and his wife, Laura, had trodden a “fine line” by uploading the videos.
First Nights Behind Bars
Brand is said to have been petrified after spending his first nights behind bars. The former Hollywood actor was believed to have been held at London’s Wandsworth jail over the weekend while he waited to be sentenced.
Reports claim he was whisked to the high-security prison, where he was strip-searched and marched to a cramped cell. He was given a 'first-night pack' which consists of toiletries including a toothbrush and toothpaste and a food pack including cereal, tea, milk and sugar.
