The verdict places a prominent figure from that online ecosystem inside the criminal justice system.
Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults by a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London, Euronews reports. The four unanimous verdicts, delivered on Thursday, relate to four women and to offences committed between 2005 and 2009 at locations including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home. The 51-year-old showed no emotion as the verdicts were read, and his wife Laura watched from the public gallery.
The jury cleared Brand of two further rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges, accepting that he had been promiscuous but insisting that his sexual encounters had been consensual. Judge Joel Bennathan told the court that Brand faces a "significant custodial term"; the maximum sentence for rape in the United Kingdom is life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for Monday.
Brand's lawyer, Ian Winter, asked the judge to renew bail over the weekend as "an act of humanity", so that his client could put his affairs in order and say goodbye to his three young children. Bennathan refused, citing Brand's "considerable resources" and a fear that he might ultimately not return to face sentence. Brand was remanded in custody and, according to the report, signalled to his defence team from the dock that he was "good" before being led away.
Speaking outside the court, senior prosecutor David Roberts described Brand's behaviour as "predatory" and said he had "used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes". The Metropolitan Police struck a similar note. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said Brand had used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women, and that his sense of entitlement had grown alongside his profile. "I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be," Furphy said, paying tribute to the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination" of the women who came forward.
The case carries a wider significance because of who Brand became. Once a mainstream comedian and broadcaster, briefly married to the pop star Katy Perry, he later reinvented himself as a conservative, religious online commentator with a large following. The verdict places a prominent figure from that online ecosystem inside the criminal justice system, and the police statement frames the outcome as a statement about celebrity and impunity as much as about one man.
Some matters remain unresolved. Euronews reports that Brand also faces accusations of raping two other women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, allegations revealed during earlier hearings of his four-week trial but not included in it. Their legal status is not set out in the report, and no further charges are confirmed. The length of the sentence will not be known until Monday, and any appeal has not been indicated. What is established is the conviction, the remand in custody and the judge's expectation of a substantial prison term.
