Russell Brand is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday morning, after a jury found him guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults. The former comedian and TV personality has been held in custody since the verdict was delivered on Thursday, and will learn how long he will spend behind bars at a hearing scheduled for 10.30am GMT.
The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, warned Brand on Thursday to expect a significant prison term. Jurors took eight-and-a-half hours of deliberations to convict him, with Brand having denied all allegations throughout the trial.
Offences and Victims
Brand was found guilty of offences against four women committed between 2004 and 2009. These include the rape of a 21-year-old fan he met after 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. Prosecutors are considering whether to charge Brand over allegations involving two further victims: a 16-year-old schoolgirl and a woman he dated when he was 30.
Detention and Prison Conditions
After the guilty verdict, Brand was remanded in custody and has been held at HMP Wandsworth. Reports suggest that while there, he was the target of jeers from other inmates, who sang a foul chant through the landings. The fallen star reportedly arrived unprepared for life behind bars, not even bringing a change of clothes, according to a report in The Mail on Sunday.
Sentencing and Possible Jail Time
The judge will consider victim impact statements and lawyers' arguments before delivering the sentence. The maximum jail term for rape is life, while the maximum sentence for sexual assault is 10 years. Sentencing guidelines suggest Brand may receive a sentence of between four and 13 years.
The offences came to light in September 2023, when an investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches published accusations from women who said they had been raped, sexually abused and degraded by Brand. One of the journalists involved, The Sunday Times' Rosamund Urwin, was the target of a furious outburst from Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC, outside the courtroom minutes after the verdict. Winter said, "I hope you are pleased with yourself," to which Urwin responded, "I'm pleased justice has been done." Winter then said, "Well, it wasn't. You f***** it. Congratulations." The barrister announced on Friday that he has referred himself to the Bar Standards Board.
