London (United Kingdom), 9 Nov. (LaPresse) – British actor and comedian Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand that he had shown a “casual and arrogant disregard” for any woman’s right to say no to him, in his sentencing remarks which placed the offences in the context of his rise to fame. “About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous,” said Bennathan. “You were intelligent and, in the eyes of many people, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.” The 51-year-old actor, known for his hilarious stand-up comedy performances and his behaviour on television and radio, as well as his struggles with drugs and alcohol, had maintained his innocence and claimed that all his sexual encounters were consensual. However, a jury comprising eight men and four women found him guilty of assaulting four of the six accusers in relation to incidents dating back to 2004. He was acquitted, however, of two counts of rape and one count of attempted sexual assault.
United Kingdom: Russell Brand sentenced to over 10 years for rape and sexual assault
London (United Kingdom), 9 Nov. (LaPresse) – British actor and comedian Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand that he had shown a “casual and arrogant disregard” for any woman’s right to say no to him, in his sentencing remarks which placed the offences in the context of his rise to fame. “About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous,” said Bennathan. “You were intelligent and, in the eyes of many people, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.” The 51-year-old actor, known for his hilarious stand-up comedy performances and his behaviour on television and radio, as well as his struggles with drugs and alcohol, had maintained his innocence and claimed that all his sexual encounters were consensual. However, a jury comprising eight men and four women found him guilty of assaulting four of the six accusers in relation to incidents dating back to 2004. He was acquitted, however, of two counts of rape and one count of attempted sexual assault.