Russell Brand convicted over rape and sexual assault charges

A London jury has convicted the entertainer Russell Brand on one rape charge and three sexual assault charges, according to the BBC. The 51-year-old was acquitted of two other rape charges and an attempted indecent assault charge. Once the verdicts were read, he was held in custody and denied bail. Sentencing is set for Monday.

The Guardian put the total at four offences against four women. The allegations covered a period from 1999 to 2009 and were heard over several weeks at Southwark Crown Court.

What the jury decided

Jurors spent roughly eight and a half hours considering their decision. Brand showed little visible emotion as the verdicts came in. Before leaving the dock, he said he loved his wife, Laura Gallacher.

Brand had rejected the allegations. According to the Guardian, he said some encounters had later been recast in harsher terms, following a 2023 Channel 4 Dispatches programme and reports in The Times and The Sunday Times.

Convictions and acquittals

The BBC and the Guardian gave broadly matching accounts of the outcomes. The main findings were:

• Convicted of groping an MTV employee at a Soho bar party in 2004.
• Convicted of raping a fan he had met at a Hammersmith Apollo show in 2009.
• Found guilty of kissing and groping a Choice FM employee in a Capital Radio corridor, 2004 or 2005.
• Found guilty of sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker in 2009.
• Cleared of a rape charge involving a woman met at a Bournemouth cabaret, tied to the 1999 Labour conference.
• Acquitted of an attempted indecent assault on an MTV employee in 2001, and cleared of the toilet rape charge linked to the Soho party.

Further investigation and bail

Brand is also being looked at over two more rape complaints from two women. The BBC says he has already been questioned about them. The Guardian reports that the Metropolitan Police have sent files to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Met states its inquiry is still underway. Officers say they are following every reasonable line, although no additional complainants emerged during the trial.

Ian Winter KC, Brand’s barrister, requested weekend release so his client could tell his children about the verdicts. Mr Justice Bennathan declined. He expressed regret about the hardship for the children but said there were serious reasons to worry Brand might not return for sentencing. The judge warned that a major prison term was likely.

Why the case matters

The case raised questions about how a famous figure at the peak of his popularity could allegedly carry out such acts. The jury also heard passages from Brand’s 2007 book, in which he described sex as a birthright.

Sentencing is set for Monday. The two further allegations have not been tested in court.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• BBC News: Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault
• The Guardian: Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault

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