- Published
Warning - this report contains graphic content.
asserted
report → publish → content
Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.
asserted
Brand → sentence → rape
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Joel Bennathan, described Brand as a "sexual predator" and criticised his "staggering arrogance".
asserted
Bennathan → describe → arrogance
Brand was sentenced to nine years for rape, with an additional 18 months, nine months and eight months for three counts of sexual assault.
asserted
Brand → sentence → assault
He will serve two thirds of his sentence in prison before being released on licence, and will be liable to be recalled to custody if he breaches its terms, the judge said.
asserted
judge → serve → terms
Brand will serve the sentences for the three counts of sexual assault concurrently, adding 18 months to his nine years for rape.
asserted
Brand → serve → rape
The disgraced entertainer was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, involving four women between 2004 and 2009.
asserted
entertainer → find → 2004
The few days Brand has already spent in prison since Thursday will count towards his sentence, the judge said.
asserted
judge → spend → sentence
The guidelines state offenders jailed for four years or more for some serious violent or sexual offences will be released at the two thirds point.
asserted
offenders → state → point
Once released, he is likely to spend the rest of his sentence on licence and will have to abide by specific rules such as wearing a tag.
asserted
he → release → tag
His sentence will not be included in the early release scheme.
asserted
sentence → include → scheme
In his sentencing remarks, the judge paid tribute to the bravery of the women who gave evidence during the trial.
asserted
who → pay → trial
The judge also commended the Met Police for their "hard work in gathering evidence and taking great care with all women who testified".
asserted
who → commend → women
Brand did not react in the dock as he was sentenced.
asserted
he → react → dock
Before being taken down to the cells, he mouthed "I love you" to his wife Laura Brand, who was in the court.
asserted
who → take → court
In total, Brand was sentenced to:
Nine years' imprisonment for anally raping a 21-year-old in 2009 at his home in London
Nine months for sexually assaulting a woman whose breasts he grabbed at a bar in London in 2004 during a birthday party
Eighteen months for sexually assaulting a woman at the Choice FM studios in London in 2004 or 2005, when he grabbed her face and kissed her before touching her breasts and bottom
Eight months for sexual assault while working on a Channel 4 project in 2009, when he laid his head into the groin area of a woman working with him without her consent
In further remarks, the judge said Brand's status protected him until 2023, when journalists from the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches outlined a series of misconduct allegations, leading to women making complaints to police.
He said Brand harboured a "casual arrogant disregard to any woman's right to say no to you", while his fame meant he believed "you could act when you liked and how you liked".
uncertain
you → sentence → you
The judge said the evidence in the case also showed that Brand's entourage during the peak of his celebrity had "indulged your dreadful behaviour".
asserted
entourage → say → behaviour
The former actor and comedian's wife Laura Brand was seated just a few feet away from the former comedian in the glass-walled dock as he was being sentenced.
asserted
he → seat → dock
Earlier, as he arrived in the dock on Monday morning, Brand mouthed to his wife: "It'll be okay, I don't know how, but it will", and he was seen praying and making a cross sign with his hand as the victim statements were read out.
asserted
statements → arrive → hand
Before Brand's sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements from the women he had been accused of assaulting.
asserted
he → hear → women
One of the women, who spoke from behind a screen,
asserted
who → speak → screen
said she had been in "shock and turmoil for years".
asserted
she → say → years
"I was extremely upset and traumatised," she said.
asserted
she → upset → ?
"I didn't have any respect for myself.
asserted
I → have → myself
I was thinking I was damaged goods - scared of giving off signals that could be taken the wrong way."
uncertain
that → think → signals
She added: "I just want to say - a leopard may change its spots but it's still a leopard."
uncertain
it → add → spots
After the sentencing, one of Brand's victims said: "I am eternally grateful to the police and prosecution team for their support and for allowing my voice to be heard.
asserted
voice → say → support
I finally feel believed
asserted
I → believe → ?
Another victim said: "I am grateful to the support from the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (IVSA), the police team who from the start took my testimony seriously and the prosecution team who have been with me throughout this process."
asserted
who → say → process
She added: "I do not believe that I could have come this far without them."
uncertain
I → add → them
After the sentencing hearing, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: "Today's sentence marks a significant milestone in our investigation and means Russell Brand has been held accountable for his crimes.
asserted
Brand → say → crimes
"My thoughts today are with the women who came forward and made this investigation possible."
asserted
investigation → come → women
He added: "I hope today's outcome provides some measure of closure and allows them to continue rebuilding their lives."
asserted
them → add → lives
The verdicts were delivered on Thursday following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
asserted
verdicts → deliver → London
Brand was found not guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
asserted
Brand → find → assault
He will automatically have to sign the Sex Offences' Register as part of his sentence because of the crimes he committed.
asserted
he → have → crimes
David Roberts, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We want to thank all the women who were at the heart of this case.
"
asserted
who → say → case
They did not know each other, and each has carried what happened to them for almost two decades."
asserted
what → know → decades
He added: "Today's sentence cannot undo the harm the victims have lived with, but we hope it brings them some measure of justice."
asserted
it → add → justice
Brand left victim 'anxious and humiliated'
asserted
Brand → leave → victim
…and 35 more, not listed.
The Aporia
