Russell Brand has been jailed for 10 years and six months after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others in London.
The 51-year-old British actor and comedian was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, November 9, four days after a unanimous jury found him guilty of the offences, which took place between 2004 and 2009.
Brand was given nine years for the rape of a woman at his west London home in 2009. He received a further 18 months, to be served consecutively, for sexually assaulting three women between 2004 and 2005.
Passing sentence, High Court judge Mr Justice Joel Bennathan described Brand as a “sexual predator” who displayed a “casual and arrogant disregard” for women’s right to refuse consent.
The judge also said Brand believed his fame allowed him to act with impunity.
Under UK sentencing rules, Brand must serve at least two-thirds of the sentence in custody. That amounts to roughly seven years, after which he could be released on licence under strict supervision.
Before the sentence was imposed, the court heard impact statements from the four women. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, all four have lifelong anonymity under the law.
The women described the continuing emotional effect of the attacks in statements read to the court.
Brand denied all the charges during the four-week trial and said the sexual encounters had been consensual. His legal team asked the court to take account of his Christian faith and his recovery from addiction when considering the sentence.
He is known for film roles including Get Him to the Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as well as work in British radio and television.
The Metropolitan Police began its Operation Actinolite inquiry after media reports in September 2023. The force has also sent prosecutors files relating to separate rape allegations made by two other women.
