Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years and six months

Russell Brand was sentenced by Southwark Crown Court on November 9 to 10 years and six months in prison after a jury convicted him of rape and three sexual assaults involving four women. The jury acquitted him of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.

The convictions concerned offences between 2004 and 2009. Brand received nine years for rape, with sentences for the three sexual assaults running concurrently and consecutively to the rape term, producing the total sentence. The judge reduced the rape sentence by one year, citing mitigating factors that included Brand’s lack of significant previous convictions, the time since the offences and charitable work.

During sentencing, the women described the effects of the offences on their lives. One woman said the rape had affected her confidence, relationships and ability to trust her judgment. Her statement, read in court, said she continued to experience anxiety and the lasting effects of trauma. Another woman who spoke in person described losing her sense of self-worth and said seeing Brand celebrated publicly had been difficult.

Judge Joel Bennathan praised the women for giving evidence and addressed...