Brand accused of further violence as he begins 10-and-a-half-year jail sentence
The shamed comedian showed no emotion as he was handed a custodial sentence on Monday afternoon, but told his wife, Laura Gallacher, “we’ll be OK” before he was taken downstairs by dock officers at Southwark Crown Court.
Hours after his sentencing, Jemima Goldsmith – who reportedly dated Brand for around a year in 2014 – shared a post on X in which she claimed she had to call the police on the TV personality to get him removed during a “violent incident”.
She wrote that she has her own experience of his “violence, coercive control and abuse”, and has neither seen nor spoken to Brand since that period.
uncertain
she → accuse → period
Brand, 51, was convicted on Thursday for raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three TV and radio workers during his rise to international fame.
asserted
Brand → convict → fame
He spent four nights in a cell before the sentencing hearing on Monday, during which his barrister Ian Winter KC argued his crimes were the consequence of the level of fame he was acquiring.
asserted
he → spend → fame
Mr Winter pointed out that the final offence “happened very shortly after” Brand has met his former wife, singer Katy Perry.
asserted
Brand → point → wife
One of Brand’s victims called him “a sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life”.
asserted
behaviour → call → life
She told court that his fame had left her afraid to speak out for years, adding: “His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.”
asserted
me → tell → imbalance
Another had said she feared the sexual assault will “haunt me every day” and the process of reporting the incident “felt like a marathon I had not trained for”.
asserted
I → say → marathon
Speaking at a hospital in Hertfordshire as Brand’s sentencing hearing was under way, Mr Burnham said he would be “relentless in making whatever improvements we can” to provide more support for victims, including making sure there are rape and serious sexual offence teams in every police force.
asserted
are → speak → force
It is understood Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will summon media and entertainment bosses in the coming days to tell them the case must be a “line in the sand”, with a Government source telling The Times Ms Nandy believes “responsibility has to lie with the people at the top”.
asserted
responsibility → understand → top
Ms Nandy on Sunday warned there has not been enough change in media organisations to stop celebrities like Brand from preying on women.
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Nandy → warn → women
Sir Mark had earlier told the BBC that what he heard reported from Brand’s trial came very close to “victim blaming”.
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heard → tell → blaming
Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman has called for a new legal duty on judges to direct juries, if rape myths have been ventured during a trial.
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myths → call → trial
Mr Winter put forward arguments that the comedian could not be a rapist as his accusers had not “resisted or screamed or even tried to leave”.
uncertain
accusers → put → arguments
The lawyer has since reported himself to his professional regulator after being accused of a tirade at a female journalist shortly after his client had been found guilty of rape.
asserted
client → report → rape
In the House of Lords on Monday, justice minister Lord Lemos said the Government “know we need to do better on ensuring victims of rape and sexual abuse feel safe to seek justice”.
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victims → say → justice
However, he did not commit to changing the law around rape trials.
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he → commit → trials
The Government frontbencher had earlier said that judges “already can and do give directions concerning rape myths based on the specifics of each case”.
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judges → say → case
Labour former justice minister Baroness Levitt has tabled an amendment to the Courts And Tribunals Bill to write Ms Waxman’s proposed legal duty in to law.
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Levitt → table → law
Her amendment would require judges in trials for sexual offences and domestic abuse offences to direct juries on myths and stereotypes that may affect their assessment of the evidence.
uncertain
that → require → evidence
Former Conservative Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told BBC Newsnight on Monday that a change in the law could “complicate the situation”.
uncertain
change → tell → situation
“There’s always a case to look carefully at the way we do these things but the academic evidence is very mixed about so called rape myths and I believe that jurors change in terms of generational attitudes,” he told the programme.
asserted
he → ’ → programme
“But I do think that in that interim it is the job of barristers and judges who should be trained properly in these cases to get it right and not start asking questions that go way beyond their duty to defend their clients.”
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that → think → clients
Sentencing Brand, Mr Justice Bennathan slammed the comedian’s “staggering arrogance” and said he had “become a sexual predator” during his rise to fame.
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he → sentence → fame
The judge 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 → say → you
Brand is expected to serve two-thirds of his prison sentence before being released on licence.
asserted
Brand → expect → licence
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