Rapist Russell Brand winks in courtroom after his lawyer blames his fame for behaviour
The shamed comedian winked and nodded at his wife and members of his entourage as his sentencing was paused – after it was heard how his “fame” was to blame for his behaviour
Russell Brand will be sentenced at 2pm(Image: James Manning/Press Association)
Russell Brand winked in court as he prepared for sentencing after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault. The shamed comedian winked and nodded at his wife and members of his entourage as he clutched a crucifix in his hands as his sentencing hearing was paused for lunch.
Before breaking it was heard from his team how Brand’s behaviour was connected to his fame.
His defence barrister Ian Winter KC told Southwark Crown Court in mitigation that Brand became famous very quickly and that fame impacted his behaviour.
Russell Brand has been in custody since last Friday(Image: Getty)
Legal expert Winter said Brand “started to become very famous and then extraordinarily famous, and we would invite your lordship to conclude that his behaviour for these offences are connected and the consequence of that level of fame.”
He pointed out that the final offence “happened very shortly after he met Katy Perry”.
He was previously married to Katy Perry(Image: Getty)
The court also heard from victims in the case about the true level of depravity Brand had shown while hurting them.
One woman told how she was sexually assaulted and was forced to give Brand a massage in 2009. The Channel 4 worker, who was granted lifelong anonymity, was sexually assaulted by Brand but said the attack was “brushed under the carpet” by her bosses and she still worries to this day about repercussions for speaking out.
She claimed she was targeted by Brand during a recording session in 2009, when she was forced by the comedian’s entourage to give him a massage.
When she reluctantly agreed to keep the session going, Brand knelt down and thrust his head into her groin.
In a victim impact statement read to Southwark Crown Court on Monday, the woman said she was “powerless” during the incident, “really upset” in the aftermath, and she struggled to trust colleagues in the years that followed.
Ron brand, Russell’s father, is at the court today (Monday)(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
Turning to her complaint to Channel 4 bosses, she said: “Immediately after the incident I spoke up, and sadly it was brushed under the carpet by senior management. This really affected me and had something similar happened again, at the time, I know I would not have had the confidence to speak up again.
“There was a culture, at the time, which meant I felt I had to just carry on and not talk about it anymore.
“Which meant I did not give myself time to lament on it, boxed it up and pushed it aside.”
The court heard how two members of the Brand entourage, Jack Bayles and Gareth Roy, told the woman that Brand was unhappy and was refusing to continue recording until she had given him a massage.
Channel 4 has acknowledged that the woman’s complaint was mishandled in 2009, and Brand continued to appear on the channel’s shows up to 2019.
After the sexual assault, the woman said she was “wary and on my toes about something similar happening again”.
She told the court: “I felt I lost my trust in people and felt that my working environment wasn’t safe. “From that point onwards, I made sure that I wasn’t sitting in a room alone and consciously made sure I had a colleague with me in a professional environment.
“It opened my eyes in a bad way. I became more wary of working relationships with people I did not know. I feel like I was quite innocent before and this burst that bubble.
“I felt powerless in that moment, and it had a knock-on effect on my confidence because I felt like I had no control on that day and there was nothing I could do about what he did to me.”
Brand was convicted, on Thursday last week, of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, in offending which happened between 2004 and 2009.
He has spent four nights in prison, and he mouthed, “it’ll be okay, I don’t know how, but it will” to his wife, Laura Gallacher, as he entered the dock on Monday morning prior to the sentencing.
His wife Laura is in court to see her husband sentenced for rape(Image: James Veysey/Shutterstock)
Brand was also seen drawing a cross with his hand, holding a crucifix, and saying a prayer as the court was told of the impact on his victims.
The woman who was raped by Brand in 2009, after meeting him at one of his comedy shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, told the court she struggled with alcoholism and mental health struggles in the intervening years.
Brand picked the woman out of a crowd to join him for a threesome backstage, and she willingly went to his £2.3 million Hampstead townhouse a few days later for sex.
But the court heard the second encounter turned to rape when Brand forced her into anal sex.
In her statement on Monday, the woman said she struggled with seeing Brand repeatedly in the years that followed as he starred in Hollywood films, appeared on TV and radio, and launched a successful, online influencer career.
“Because of who he was and the influence he held, I did not feel confident speaking openly about what had happened”, she said.
“I did not know who I could trust or confide in. I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed. His fame, wealth, and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.
“I did not have the confidence to challenge someone who appeared so powerful, rich, and influential.
“His public profile meant that he remained present in my life even when I wanted to move on.
Other victims of monster Brand told the court they have struggled with the mass media coverage of Brand’s trial.
A radio worker who was sexually assaulted by Brand in 2005 told the court she almost withdrew her allegation over the emotional strain of being at the centre of a criminal case.
She told the court: “Russell Brand is a sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life.
“I just hope that he is not allowed to hurt any more women.”
Brand, who denied all the charges he faced at trial, has sat emotionless as prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC submitted to the judge that the rape conviction should be considered in the highest level of impact on the victim, carrying a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Mr Justice Bennathan is due to pass sentence on Brand at 2pm.
