Russell Brand sentenced to more than 10 years for rape and sexual assault offences – latest updates

Russell Brand has been jailed today to more than 10 years for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.

All of them gave victim impact statements to the court, all of which were read out today for the judge to hear as he considered the punishment he would give to Brand.

One woman also chose to come into the courtroom to deliver her remarks directly to the judge. The court put up screens and drew a curtain at that point to protect her anonymity – so that she couldn't be seen by Brand and was only seen by the judge, who thanked her for her courage in “in front of so many peopleâ€.

I've recounted throughout the blog the statements of all four women, but you can also read them here:

Justice Joel Bennathan delivered an eight-page judgement at the sentencing today.

The punishment – the full length of the prison term Russell Brand will serve for the next 10 years– was delivered right at the end in the 80-second clip below. You can watch it here.

The court drawing below depicts how Brand spoke to his wife Laura Brand as he was led away to the cells.

After the 10.5 year sentence was passed, Ms Brand told her husband “I love youâ€.

He said to her as he was being taken out: “We'll be okay.â€

Ms Brand left the courtroom in tears. The couple have three children together, the eldest aged 10.

Senior crown prosecutor David Roberts spoke after Det Supt Furphy, and said that:

Today's result shows that fame, status, and a passage of time do not change the fundamental issue of consent.

He says the evidence presented to court showed Brand to be a “manipulative sexual predator, using his growing fame and power to create situations in which he could pursue women sexually, regardless of what they wanted, with complete disregard for the impact of his actionsâ€.

He also began his remarks by praising the victims.

They did not know each other, and each of them has carried what happened to them for almost two decades.

Furphy commends the work of police and their support for the female victim and then makes a final, direct appeal “to anyone who's been a victim of rape or any other sexual offence.

We know it can take enormous courage to speak about what happened to you.

No matter how long ago it occurred, or who was responsible, if you come forward, you'll be listened to, supported, and treated with care and compassion.

Russell Brand, once a Hollywood film star and award-winning comedian, has just been sentenced to over 10 years in jail for sexual assault and rape crimes he committed two decades ago.

Some of the women in their victim impact statements, read out in court today, said they hadn't discussed what had happened to them with other people, sometimes for 20 years.

The lead detective on the case, Det Supt Andy Furphy, has just spoken outside the courtroom saying today's sentence is a significant milestone, one that “means Russell Brand has been held accountable for his crimes.â€

He goes on to praise the six women who bravely came forward and endured court interrogation to get to where we are today.

“I hope they recognise just how powerful their actions have been and the difference they may make to others,†says Furphy.

Full comments below:

My thoughts today are with the women who came forward and made this investigation possible.

Reporting sexual offences can be incredibly difficult and they have shown immense bravery, dignity, and resilience throughout what has been a lengthy and challenging trial process.

The victims have had to revisit deeply traumatic experiences and endure significant public and media attention.

I hope today's outcome provides some measure of closure, and allows them to continue rebuilding their lives.

Their courage in coming forward has not only led to this outcome, but may also give confidence to others who have suffered sexual violence, to seek help and report what happened to them.

I hope they recognise just how powerful their actions have been and the difference they may make to others.

From the very beginning, our investigation was never about Russell Brand's profile, status, or celebrity. Our focus has always been on the women who reported these offences, and on conducting a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations that they made.

Regarding the rape sentencing, Judge Bennathan noted that Brand ordering the then 21-year-old woman to “clean your sheets†was “an additional… humiliationâ€.

He also said that Brand removing the condom without her consent, and ejaculating into her “which led to months of fearing she might have HIV†were “serious further aggravating factorsâ€.

He said those actions “must raise†his sentence punishment by two years above the starting point.

As I reported earlier, the judge reduced the sentence by one year for mitigating factors such as Brand not having any serious prior convictions.

These are the details of the rape conviction, where Brand in 2009 anally raped a 21-year-old fan of his, removed the condom and ejaculated in her, humiliated her afterwards and left her terrified that she might have contracted HIV.

The judge summarised the crime as following:

She was a huge fan of yours, which you were happy to exploit. She had willing consensual sexual activity with you after your show. You took her phone number and if anyone still needs any demonstration of your contempt for your casual sexual partners, you stored her number under “T†for “tartâ€.

You invited her to your house a few days later. There you put on a condom at her request and had vaginal sex, to which she consented.

You then flipped her over, removed the condom and, without asking, forced your penis into her anus, causing her great pain. She asked you to stop, then asked you again loudly. You replied, and I quote, “I want you to feel my cumâ€.

You ejaculated. She was distraught and in severe pain. The bed was heavily soiled by blood, sperm and faeces. You told her it was her mess, and made her try to clear it up. Shortly after, you went off to get ready then went to work. She was driven to a nearby underground station by your driver who for some reason had tissues ready, to hand to her as she wept. She was left distraught, in pain and terrified she might have contracted HIV.

Judge Bennathan noted how Brand's actions had caused “significant and long-lasting†harm to the woman.

In her victim impact statement she wrote of struggling to eat and sleep, of taking two to three months off from work and of abandoning the career she had embarked upon.

Although the rape was 17 years ago, she still finds it affects her ability to form new friendships and to know when she can trust people. From her evidence at trial I also know she developed an alcohol problem, partly as a result of your attack on her.

Russell Brand was sentenced to nine years for the rape conviction alone.

He was acquitted of two other rape counts, but because of this count, has received such a serious sentence behind bars.

Judge Bennathan went into length on this offence, and I will get into that in the next post.

The judge had said he was “very conscious†that Brand's imprisonment would “deprive your children of the presence of their fatherâ€.

That sad loss to them, however, is caused by your serious offending.

Brand's lawyer Ian Winter KC earlier had strenuously made the case that a lengthy sentence would have a “catastrophic†impact on Brand's wife and three children.

Brand was taken into custody immediately after a jury found him guilty last Thursday so has not had the opportunity to say goodbye in person to his family.

Judge Bennathan also commended the Met Police for “their hard work in gathering evidence and taking great care of all the women who testified.â€

As I reported earlier, one of the victims said she had wanted to withdraw her case after the stress and pressure and public attention, but she persisted with the support of specialist police teams.

The Met Police have said they expect other women may come forward to report their experiences of abuse and assault.