Russell Brand sentenced to 10.5 years for rape

Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison by Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday, 9 November, after the comedian and actor was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009. The BBC, which covered the hearing live, reported that he is likely to serve two-thirds of the term behind bars.

Brand, 51, had denied all the charges and said every encounter was consensual. A jury of eight men and four women found him guilty last Thursday after a four-week trial, according to the Associated Press and The Guardian.

How the sentence was made up

Judge Joel Bennathan handed down separate terms for each offence. The BBC set out the breakdown:

• Nine years for the rape.
• Nine months for sexually assaulting a woman at a London bar in 2004.
• Eighteen months for sexually assaulting a woman at the Choice FM studios in London in 2004 or 2005.
• Eight months for a sexual assault in 2009 on a woman working with him on a Channel 4 project.

The three sexual assault terms run at the same time as each other, but on top of the rape term. That brings the total to ten and a half years.

What the judge told Brand

In his remarks, the judge called Brand a "sexual predator" who had told a "series of lies" and shown "staggering arrogance", the BBC reported. He said he had taken account of mitigation, including a supportive statement from a friend, and had cut the sentence by one year as a result.

The judge also said he was aware that prison would keep Brand away from his children, but told him that was his own fault.

Charges, verdicts and the women involved

Brand faced seven charges in all: three of rape, three of sexual assault and one of attempted indecent assault. He was cleared of two rape charges and the attempted indecent assault charge.

The offences involved four women. All of them are entitled to lifelong anonymity under UK law. During the sentencing hearing, several of them read statements describing the lasting harm. One said she had been left "in shock and turmoil", while the woman he raped told the court she was still living with trauma.

After the convictions, the Metropolitan Police said Brand was also under investigation over two further rape allegations, The Guardian reported. No charges have been announced in those cases.

How long Russell Brand will spend in prison

Under UK sentencing rules, people jailed for four years or more for some serious violent or sexual offences are released at the two-thirds point. That means Brand is likely to spend about seven years in custody. After release he would be on licence for the rest of the term, with conditions such as electronic tagging. Sex offenders are not covered by the UK's new early release scheme.

Police and prosecutors respond

Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police called the sentence a "significant milestone" and praised the women for their bravery. He said the inquiry had never been about Brand's fame, but about the people who reported the offences.

David Roberts of the Crown Prosecution Service said the sentence could not undo the harm done, but hoped it brought some measure of justice. He added that fame, status and the passage of time do not change the basic issue of consent.

Brand's wife, Laura, was seen leaving court after the hearing. His lawyer had told the court she was in "total devastation".

The case has been one of the most closely followed celebrity trials in Britain in years. For more international coverage, read our reports on the Krakow shooting in the city's main square, the jailing of Joshua Wong and the Republican midterm defeat.

Full details of the hearing are on the BBC News live page.

Image: A barrister outside Southwark Crown Court in London, where Russell Brand was jailed on Monday. Photo by Southbanksteve via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.