Russell Brand is a 'dead man walking' inside HMP Wandsworth, where he is now serving a prison sentence for sexual offences, a former inmate of the jail has warned.
The 51-year-old was jailed for 10 years and six months at Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults. A former inmate at HMP Wandsworth, where Brand is now being held, said the ex-comedian and actor is a 'marked man' as he begins his sentence.
Warning from former inmate
The former inmate, who was released from HMP Wandsworth last year, said Brand 'needed to survive' the violent institution by 'keeping his head down' until he is moved to a different prison. He described the 51-year-old as a 'dead man walking' as long as he stays there.
The former inmate said: “If Brand stays in Wandsworth, he’s in real trouble – a dead man walking. He won’t be there permanently but needs to survive until he’s got his permanent move.”
He added: “Wandsworth is violent, corrupt, dirty and noisy. He will be so far out of his comfort zone. When I was there staff paid prisoners to attack other inmates and violence would break out over the smallest thing. Brand will be a marked man while he is there and – if he is to stay safe – needs to move quickly.”
Sentencing and judge's remarks
Mr Justice Bennathan said Brand was a dangerous “sexual predator” who showed “staggering arrogance” and “contempt” for women. The judge told Brand: “About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous. You were clever – and in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.”
He added that the comic had told a “series of lies” about the women he abused. Brand showed no emotion while being sentenced but later mouthed “I love you” and “we will be OK” to his wife Laura Gallacher when being led away to the cells. Gallacher became visibly upset as Brand was jailed and held back tears as she left Southwark Crown Court.
Convictions and victim impact
Brand was convicted of raping a 21-year-old fan at his Hampstead home after they met at his stand-up show in 2009. He also sexually assaulted a TV worker in 2009 and 'sloppily' kissed a radio staffer without her consent. Years before that, Brand groped an MTV employee at a party in Soho in 2004.
The victim who was attacked by him at a radio station in 2005 said: “Russell Brand has managed to move on and even forget that he sexually assaulted me violently in a very public place and in front of people.” Another of his victims said the attack on her forced her to take time off work and move back in with her parents. She added: “I hope the court can understand the large and overarching impact this has had on me, and continues to have on me to this day.”
