Russell Brand was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison Monday for rape and sexual assaults committed between 2004 and 2009. Judge Joel Bennathan called Brand "a sexual predator" with a "casual, arrogant disregard" for women's wishes, stating his fame "protected him until 2023." The sentence followed a jury verdict last week finding Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Brand, 51, maintained his innocence, claiming events either did not occur or were consensual.
The jury acquitted him of two other rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. Under British law, accusers retain lifelong anonymity. The rape conviction stems from a 1999 encounter where Brand removed a condom during anal sex despite the woman's pleas to stop.
Three other convictions involved Brand groping a woman at a London bar in 2004, pinning a woman against a wall at a radio station in 2005, and coercing a massage before assaulting a woman in 2009. Brand's lawyer requested mercy citing his rehabilitation and three young children, but the judge emphasized Brand's "staggering arrogance" and belief that "fame meant you could act how you liked." The woman raped in 1999 said she felt unable to pursue comedy afterward, turning to alcohol to cope. The 2005 assault victim called Brand "a sexual predator who has no remorse.".
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing