New criminal allegations against Russell Brand reported to Met Police after rape conviction
The Metropolitan Police confirm several people have come forward with further information or criminal allegations since Brand's rape trial concluded.
New criminal allegations reported to Met Police following Brand conviction
Additional criminal allegations against Russell Brand have been reported to the Metropolitan Police since his rape trial began, the Evening Standard reports.
The force confirmed that several individuals made contact during and after the conclusion of the 51-year-old's case, either providing further information or reporting potential criminal offences. Detectives are assessing the material as part of ongoing inquiries.
Brand has spent five nights in custody following his conviction on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. On Monday, the sentencing judge handed him a 10-and-a-half-year prison term at Southwark Crown Court. He showed no emotion as the sentence was read out, but told his wife, Laura Gallacher, "we'll be OK" before being taken down by dock officers.
Mr Justice Bennathan, sentencing Brand, criticised what he described as the comedian's "staggering arrogance" and said Brand had "become a sexual predator" during his rise to fame. The judge said Brand held a "casual arrogant disregard to any woman's right to say no to you", and that his celebrity status had led him to believe "you could act when you liked and how you liked".
Brand was convicted on Thursday of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three television and radio workers during the period of his rise to international fame.
His former partner Jemima Goldsmith posted on X within hours of the sentencing hearing, stating she had been forced to call police to have Brand removed from her home during what she described as a "violent incident". Goldsmith, who reportedly dated Brand for a year in 2014, wrote that she has her own experience of his "violence, coercive control and abuse", and said she has had no contact with him since that period.
At Monday's sentencing hearing, defence barrister Ian Winter KC argued that Brand's crimes were a consequence of the level of fame he was acquiring at the time. Winter told the court that the final offence "happened very shortly after" Brand had met his former wife, singer Katy Perry.
Four victim impact statements were read to the court. One victim described Brand as "a sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life", and said his fame had left her afraid to speak out for years. "His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless," she told the court. A second said she feared the sexual assault will "haunt me every day", and that reporting the incident "felt like a marathon I had not trained for".
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government would be "relentless in making whatever improvements we can" to support victims, including ensuring that rape and serious sexual offence teams are established in every police force.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is expected to summon media and entertainment industry bosses in the coming days to deliver the message that the case must represent a "line in the sand". A government source told The Times that Nandy believes "responsibility has to lie with the people at the top".
Brand is expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on licence. He will remain on the sex offenders' register for life.
Source: Evening Standard