Russell Brand is reportedly 'petrified' after spending his first night in custody, where he was given an 'inedible' meal, as he awaits sentencing on Monday, November 9.
The 51-year-old was remanded in custody following guilty verdicts at Southwark Crown Court, where Mr Justice Bennathan warned he faced a “significant custodial sentence”. Jurors unanimously convicted Brand of offences against four women between 2004 and 2009, including the rape of a 21-year-old woman he met after a comedy gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009.
Convictions and cleared charges
Brand 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 told to give him a massage. Prosecutors are considering whether to charge Brand over allegations involving two further women, including one who was 16 at the time.
Brand faced seven charges in total: three of rape, three of sexual assault, and one of attempted indecent assault. He was cleared of raping a woman in a hotel in Bournemouth in 1999, during the Labour Party conference where Brand had been performing at a cabaret show. He was also found not guilty of an attempted indecent assault offence when he was accused of grabbing a woman's arm and pulling her towards a toilet in 2001 in central London, and of orally raping a woman in a toilet at a bar in London, an attack alleged to have happened when they were at a birthday party together in Soho.
First night in custody
In court, Brand told his wife Laura Gallacher “Laura, I love you” before the verdicts were read. He showed no reaction other than closing his eyes, and as he was led out of the court, he mouthed “I'm OK” several times to his lawyers.
A source told The Sun: "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.
“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.
“But he will be relatively safe and watched around the clock by officers and banged up away from other inmates to start with."
Investigation ongoing
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who led the investigation, said he believes Brand continues to pose a risk to women. Asked whether he believed Brand remained a risk, Furphy replied: "Yes, I do. I think he's got that position of power and trust and millions of followers."
Furphy said the investigation was not over, encouraging anyone else who may have been a victim to come forward. He said: "What I will say is, our work isn't done. There is a live investigation still taking place." He added: "I do think there's a possibility that more women may come forward. What I would say, that if you've been a victim of rape or sexual offence by Russell Brand and you've not yet spoken to police then come forward."
Brand's trial has sparked calls for changes in the law to tackle "rape myths" and misconceptions in courtrooms. During the trial, Brand's barrister Ian Winter KC told jurors that none of the complainants had "resisted or screamed or even tried to leave".
Claire Waxman, the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, has called for judges to be legally required to direct juries on rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial. She said: "The idea that rape victims must scream, physically resist or immediately report an offence is a well-established rape myth, rooted in outdated and harmful assumptions about how victims are expected to behave. That's why I am calling for a legal duty in the Courts and Tribunals Bill, requiring judges to direct juries on rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial.
“Consistent judicial directions would help challenge stereotypes and improve understanding of trauma."
Brand will be sentenced on Monday after being found guilty of one count of rape and three charges of sexual assault.
