British comedian and actor Russell Brand was found guilty in a London court on Thursday of rape and sexual assault related to allegations dating back more than 20 years.
Once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters and the former husband of US singer Katy Perry, Brand had denied the accusations, saying the incidents had either been consensual, reinvented or re-imagined.
Read moreJury deliberating in Russell Brand’s UK rape trial
Presiding Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand would face a “significant custodial term”. He is due to be sentenced on Monday.
Before the trial, Brand had been free, but the judge rejected a bail request because of the possibility he might flee and he was taken into custody.
“I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course,” the judge said. “But the hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by their father.”
A prosecutor described Brand as a ruthless, calculating, manipulative “sexual predator”. Brand, who is 51-years-old, denied the charges and testified that he was obsessed with sex as a young man and once led a promiscuous life, but had never forced anyone to do something against their will.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London’s Metropolitan Police said the conviction was “a testament to the extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them.”
“Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women,” he said. “As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement.”
Brand said in the witness box that the criminal case had a devastating impact on his life and family. “My entire life has been consumed by these events, these allegations, these accusations,” he said.
Brand’s lawyers argued that the alleged victims were undermined by the fact that they only went to police years after the alleged assaults and following the broadcast of a 2023 documentary that contained anonymous allegations against Brand.
Brand testified that friends and colleagues had abandoned him. His wife, Laura, who accompanied him to court, testified as a character witness in his defence, but no one with relevant evidence was willing to give evidence on his behalf, Brand said.
The jury of eight men and four women in Southwark Crown Court deliberated more than eight hours over two days.
Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Brand closed his eyes but showed no emotion as the jury delivered the verdicts, noted a report by AFP.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)
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