Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison for rape and sexual assault, a verdict his father has publicly disputed. The 51-year-old comedian was handed the sentence on Monday following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, where he was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Father Defends Son Outside Court
Speaking outside court, Ron Brand leapt to his son's defence. When asked why Brand had been convicted, he told GB News: “The women chased and sprawled over him, eating him.”
He added: “My sister, now 88, used to say, ‘Russell, you give too much of yourself’.” When told “your son is a convicted rapist”, he responded: “So they’ve got it wrong.” When told that many people would disagree, Ron Brand said: “Many people might. Those that know won’t.”
Details of the Offences
The court heard how Brand had raped one of his fans in 2009 at his luxury London home and sexually assaulted three female TV and radio staffers from Channel 4, MTV and Capital Radio during his rise to stardom.
The offences took place between 2004 and 2009, a period when Brand was becoming famous.
Judge's Remarks and Sentence
Mr Justice Bennathan slammed Brand's "staggering arrogance" and described him as a "sexual predator". The judge told Brand: “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 said Brand's celebrity status "protected" him up until 2023, when journalists from the Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches first exposed a litany of sexual misconduct, leading to women making complaints to police.
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 judge imposed a nine-year jail term for the rape and added an extra year and a half for the sexual assaults.
