A family friend has expressed concern for the wellbeing of Russell Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, claiming the comic has "totally brainwashed" her into believing he is innocent. The concerns come after Brand was found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault last week.
Gallacher, 39, is said to have remained fiercely loyal to her husband despite the guilty verdict. Sources close to the family claim she is determined to launch an appeal against Brand's convictions because she believes he is innocent.
Family friend speaks out
Speaking to the Daily Mail, one family friend said: "Russell gets what Russell wants. He has that charm and swagger, and Laura is besotted with him. She goes along with what he wants, it's like he has totally brainwashed her."
The family friend added that Brand's conviction could give his wife some time to step back from the disgraced celebrity's influence and assess the situation. A friend of the family claims Gallacher believes her husband was wrongly accused.
Details of the conviction
During Brand's trial, he was found guilty of raping a 21-year-old fan in 2009 and sexually assaulting three women in separate incidents between 2004 and 2009. He was cleared of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The friend claimed that Brand's wife believes the jury's choice to acquit him of the various other charges proves his innocence.
Wife's presence at trial
Throughout the trial, Laura watched from the public gallery as six women shared their evidence and their experiences with Brand. She was seen taking notes while the other women spoke of Brand's behaviour towards them. During Brand's days in court, Gallacher was seen arriving alongside him, often holding his hand as they entered and left the building.
The disgraced comedian, 51, is being held at HMP Wandsworth while he awaits sentencing after his rape conviction.
Conditions in prison
Brand has been strip-searched and scanned on arrival at the jail. As a sex offender, he is kept apart from other inmates and assessed by officers. Prison bosses carried out a Cell-Sharing Risk Assessment on him and opted to house him on his own amid safety fears.
Officers are reported to have blocked him from mixing with other inmates on the wing to keep him safe from violence and extortion. A source added: "Some of the officers and inmates will be excited to have a celebrity in there. But a lot of the cons would want to do him some damage, so he will not be allowed to mix in Wandsworth, and it will be safer for him. They will want to ship him out as soon as possible. He will find prison food pretty awful and have to supplement it by buying stuff."
