Russell Brand Found Guilty of Rape and Three Sexual Assaults
A jury has found Russell Brand guilty of rape and sexual assault. The judge told him to expect a significant custodial term, and he will be sentenced on Monday.
The verdicts
After a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, the jury found the 51-year-old guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. It cleared him of two other counts of rape and one of attempted indecent assault. Jurors deliberated for eight and a half hours.
The rape conviction relates to a fan he met after a 2009 stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo. He was also convicted of groping an MTV worker at a Soho party in 2004, and of kissing and groping a Choice FM worker at the Capital Radio building in 2004 or 2005. The jury found he sexually assaulted a Channel 4 worker in 2009, after she was made to massage him.
He was cleared of raping the MTV worker in a toilet after the 2004 party, and separately of trying to drag an MTV worker into a toilet in 2001 to assault her. He was also cleared of raping a woman who, according to the account, met him at a cabaret event linked to the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth.
Bail refused over fears he may not return
Mr Justice Bennathan refused bail, so Brand will spend the weekend in custody. His defence had asked for bail so he could explain the convictions to his children. The judge said he regretted the hardship to them, but saw substantial grounds to fear Brand might not feel able to return to face his sentence.
Two more women have accused Brand of rape, and officers have already questioned him about those complaints. The Metropolitan Police said its investigation "remains ongoing".
The trial and the defence
Six women gave evidence about events between 1999 and 2009. Brand said he had been the victim of a media conspiracy and that consent was "more important than sex itself". He admitted using his fame to "facilitate sexual access" and said he had been obsessed with sex and extremely promiscuous. He denied every charge, and his barrister told jurors that none of the sex was unlawful.
Brand showed little emotion as the verdicts were read. His father, Ron Brand, told the BBC he was bemused and shocked and called the outcome devastating.
Reaction after the verdict
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy paid tribute to the courage of the women who came forward. Senior crown prosecutor David Roberts called Brand predatory. The Times, the Sunday Times, Channel 4 and the BBC all paid tribute to the women involved.
Allegations first appeared in the media in September 2023. The Times, the Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches jointly reported accusations from four women of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. He strongly denied them.
Channel 4 said it recognised the profound impact of these crimes. A BBC spokesperson said there could be no place for the abuse of power. The corporation restated its apology to staff who felt unable to raise concerns about Brand when he worked there between 2006 and 2008, because he was seen as too influential.
Source: BBC News