Russell Brand convicted of rape and sexual assault, remanded in custody
A jury at Southwark Crown Court found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on Monday.
Russell Brand found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court
Russell Brand has been convicted of rape and sexual assault following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, BBC News reports. The jury returned its verdicts after eight and a half hours of deliberation, finding the entertainer guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Brand was acquitted of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, told Brand to expect "a significant custodial term". Brand was refused bail and taken into custody immediately after the verdicts were delivered. Sentencing is scheduled for Monday.
The charges and verdicts in detail
The jury found Brand guilty of raping a fan after he met her at a stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. He was also convicted of groping an MTV worker during a party at a Soho bar in 2004, though acquitted of subsequently raping her in a toilet at the same venue.
Brand was convicted of kissing and groping a Choice FM worker after encountering her in a corridor at the Capital Radio building in 2004 or 2005. A fourth conviction related to the sexual assault of a Channel 4 worker in 2009, whom he had compelled to give him a massage.
He was found not guilty of raping a woman he met at a cabaret show on the fringes of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, and was also cleared of attempting to drag an MTV worker into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001.
Six accusers spanning a decade
During the trial, Brand faced allegations from six women covering the period between 1999 and 2009 — the decade in which he rose to prominence as one of Britain's most recognisable entertainers. The women told the court how Brand used his fame to coerce them into sexual activity.
Brand, who mouthed "I love you" to his wife Laura Gallacher as he entered the dock, displayed no visible emotion as the verdicts were read. Afterwards he mouthed "I'm good, I'm good" to his defence counsel before being led away. Gallacher left court shortly after her husband was taken into custody.
Further rape allegations can now be reported
It can now be reported that Brand also faces further rape allegations made by two additional women. The 51-year-old has already been questioned by police in connection with those complaints. The Metropolitan Police confirmed its investigation "remains ongoing", though no further complainants came forward during the trial itself.
Brand's defence and his own words
In his evidence, Brand admitted using his fame to "facilitate sexual access" and described himself as having been "obsessed" with sex and "extremely promiscuous". He acknowledged dedicating "a lot of my life to what seems now beyond reckless, philandering, and idiocy", but maintained that all sexual activity had been consensual and denied every charge.
Brand had claimed throughout the proceedings to be the victim of a media conspiracy aimed at portraying him as a sexual predator, and told the court that consent was "more important than sex itself". The prosecution confronted him with passages from his 2007 book in which he described sex as a "birthright", and with testimony from associates who described his stated ambition of sleeping with 5,000 women.
Judge refuses bail; sentencing on Monday
Mr Justice Bennathan acknowledged the "hardship caused to the children" when rejecting a request from Brand's legal team for bail over the weekend to allow him to speak with his family. The judge said Brand "has considerable resources" and that there were "substantial grounds to fear he might in the end not feel able to come along and face his sentence."
Police and prosecution respond
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police described the verdict as "first and foremost a testament to the extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward". He said Brand had "used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women", adding: "I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be."
David Roberts, senior crown prosecutor in the London rape and serious sexual assault unit, described Brand as "predatory" and "a manipulator with an insatiable desire to get what he wanted regardless of whether consent was given or not". Roberts said Brand "seized opportunities to assault the women around him" as his career advanced, with "an abuse of power and sexual greed" at the centre of every offence.
Ron Brand, Russell's father, told the BBC he was "bemused and shocked" by the verdicts. "I just didn't expect this — it's wrong... it's devastating," he said.
Source: BBC News