- Published
The officer who led the investigation into Russell Brand has said the Metropolitan Police is "triaging" calls from people following his conviction and sentence.
asserted
Police → publish → conviction
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, Det Supt Andy Furphy said the force had "several reports in during the trial and since the trial".
asserted
force → speak → trial
He said that officers were in the "process of triaging" them and were "looking at exactly what we've got, whether they're information that points to behaviour or whether they could constitute a criminal offence, so our work isn't done."
uncertain
work → say → offence
Brand is already being investigated over rape allegations from two more women.
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Brand → investigate → women
He has been interviewed under caution in connection to those allegations.
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He → interview → allegations
On Monday, the disgraced entertainer was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.
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entertainer → sentence → rape
In his sentencing remarks, judge Joel Bennathan described Brand as a "sexual predator" and criticised his "staggering arrogance".
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Bennathan → describe → arrogance
The 51-year-old was sentenced to nine years for rape, with an additional 18 months, nine months and eight months for three counts of sexual assault.
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old → sentence → assault
The latter sentences are to run concurrently.
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sentences → run → ?
He was found guilty of the charges involving four women between 2004 and 2009.
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He → find → 2004
Asked by BBC Breakfast how the women in the case who gave evidence in the trial were coping, Furphy said: "Some have found it deeply distressing because of the amount of media attention wrapped around it".
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it → ask → it
"Even Russell Brand himself before and during trial was putting material online, but we continue to support them."
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we → put → them
Furphy noted how the conviction "could not have been achieved" without their "bravery, their courage, their resilience throughout the whole criminal justice process".
uncertain
conviction → note → process
He continued: "It's deeply personal and quite harrowing to be a victim of rape and sexual assault, and to have to tell anybody about it, let alone police officers.
"
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It → continue → officers
But I'm glad they did.
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they → do → ?
I'm glad they put their trust in us."
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they → put → us
A Met spokesperson confirmed that "several people have contacted the investigation team during and since the trial to provide information or report a potential criminal allegation".
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people → confirm → allegation
They added that "detectives are assessing this information as part of their ongoing enquiries".
'Made money throughout the process'
MP Dame Caroline Dinenage has re-iterated her concerns about the fact Brand was able to post videos online in the build-up to and during his trial to his millions of followers.
"This does continue to be an issue that he has made money throughout the process on his social media platform," she told BBC Breakfast.
"It just felt very odd that during the height of when there was a police investigation and some really serious allegations in the paper, that he was able to go online to his two and a half million followers, denying everything and putting his side of the story forward.
"
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he → add → story
That was an opportunity that his victims didn't have."
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victims → have → that
In September 2023, after the Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches allegations were made against Brand, Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee chair Dame Caroline wrote to social media companies Rumble, X, TikTok and Meta.
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Caroline → make → companies
She asked if they would follow YouTube in cutting off Brand's income on their platforms.
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they → ask → platforms
Rumble publicly refused, and X said it does not take action against accounts that have not broken its rules or the law.
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that → refuse → rules
TikTok said he had never been monetised there.
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he → say → ?
"We know that he had used his following [online] to try and cow people into silence," added Dame Caroline.
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Caroline → know → silence
"And the fact that they [the women] were able to come forward and tell their story and tell their truth and secure this conviction because of it is unbelievably impressive."
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they → come → it
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