Russell Brand Convicted of Rape and Assault
The actor faces a potential life sentence after a London jury found him guilty of offenses spanning a decade.
By Takeshi Faure ·
British actor Russell Brand was taken into custody on Thursday after a London jury found him guilty of rape and sexual assault. The verdicts come at the end of a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. Brand, 51, faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
The jury convicted Brand of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was also found not guilty of three other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. The allegations were brought forward by six women. The incidents allegedly took place between 1999 and 2009. This covers a ten-year period in his personal life.
Brand spent the previous four weeks denying the charges. He told the court that all sexual encounters were consensual. However, he admitted to being persuasive and seductive. During his testimony last Wednesday, he described his behavior as reckless. He stated that he was comfortable using his fame to gain sexual access. He called this approach wrong. He also referred to his past actions as beyond reckless philandering and idiocy.
Prosecutors described Brand as ruthless and calculating. They called him a sexual predator. Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand the verdicts would result in a significant custodial term. The judge ordered Brand to remain in prison until his formal sentencing. That hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Sentencing guidelines set the maximum penalty for rape at life imprisonment. The maximum for one count of sexual assault is ten years. The London Metropolitan Police confirmed on Thursday that Brand is under investigation for two additional rape charges. One of these new allegations involves a 16-year-old girl. She claims Brand assaulted her when he was 30.
Brand’s wife, Laura Gallacher, testified last week. She described him as a caring, kind, and wonderful father. The couple married in 2017 and have three young children. Brand rose to fame in the early 2000s as a comedian and television host. He appeared in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. His public profile increased after his brief marriage to pop star Katy Perry in 2010.
The court will determine the final sentence on Monday. Brand will remain in custody until that date. The additional police investigation is currently ongoing. No timeline has been set for those separate charges.
