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British comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months for rape and sexual assault on Monday.
“About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous,” Judge Joel Bennathan said. “You were clever — and in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.”
Following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, Brand was unanimously convicted by a jury on Thursday of four sexual offences, one count of rape and three counts of sexual assaults, involving four women between 2005 and 2009 in different locations.
In addition, Brand was cleared of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. However, he remains under investigation after London police said it was looking into rape allegations made by two other women.
The British actor-comedian who turned into a conservative, religious online guru claimed he was innocent and that all his encounters were consensual.
“Mr. Brand abused the influence and power that came with his fame,” Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said. “He used it to facilitate an access to women without which the offending could not have taken place. It also fed his own view that he could commit such offenses with impunity.”
His wife Laura Gallacher, with whom he has three children, slumped in her seat in the public gallery of London’s Southwark Crown Court as the total sentence of 10 years and six months was announced.
Brand told his wife, who has supported him in court throughout the case, “we’ll be OK” as he was led down to the cells.
Russell Brand had been free during the trial but was jailed following Thursday’s verdict.
Speaking in court out of view to preserve her identity, one of the women he was convicted of abusing said the assault left her in shock and made her feel like “damaged goods.”
“For many years as his star was rising it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women like it was all a joke,” she said. “There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around thinking he can get away with anything.”
A former fan he was convicted of raping said it took years for her to speak up.
“I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed,” she said in a statement. “His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.”
Brand is now expected to serve two-thirds of the sentence in prison.