WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: A long spell behind bars awaits Russell Brand after he was sentenced to 10 years and six months for raping a fan and three sexual assaults
Russell Brand is reportedly “furious” after he was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. The 51-year-old former comedian is said to be disappointed after the performance of Ian Winter KC, who represented him during his trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Brand was convicted of raping a woman fan and sexually assaulting three other women working in television and radio during his rise to fame. He is said to be considering hiring a different legal team in the event that he faces further charges, legal sources told the Daily Mail.
Mr Winter faced criticism over his questioning of the women who gave evidence against Brand. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley suggested his approach came close to victim blaming.
During the trial, the barrister told jurors that none of the complainants had “resisted, screamed or even tried to leave”. Speaking to the BBC, Sir Mark described the remarks as “very close to victim blaming, which is something we’ve thought very hard about in policing and make sure we don’t do”.
Mr Winter’s arguments also appeared to receive a sceptical response from sentencing judge Mr Justice Bennathan.
The barrister had argued that Brand was a “fundamentally different person today” and had been “extraordinarily famous” when the offences took place.
However, the judge questioned the relevance of the time that had passed since the crimes were committed. He said: “To say ‘He got away with it for 17 years’ is not necessarily a huge piece of mitigation, is it?”
Mr Winter also referred to a woman sexually assaulted at a Soho bar in 2004 as being “tipsy”.
He told the court: “Being tipsy is not something that gave rise to vulnerability and there’s no evidence the defendant knew she was tipsy so to be vulnerable.”
During sentencing, Mr Justice Bennathan stressed that women always “retain the right to say no and demand justice in the criminal courts” from sexual predators.
Meanwhile, Mr Winter has referred himself to the Bar Standards Board following an angry confrontation with a journalist outside Southwark Crown Court after the verdicts.
The barrister confronted Sunday Times chief news correspondent Rosamund Urwin, who had worked on a joint investigation into Brand with Channel 4’s Dispatches.
When Ms Urwin responded, “I’m pleased justice has been done”, he replied: “Well it wasn’t… you f***** it,” before walking away.
In a statement issued on Friday, Mr Winter said: “Having seen the ways matters have been characterised in today’s press I consider my professional duty requires me to self-report those allegations to the Bar Standards Board, so the matter can be subject to proper scrutiny. I have made such a report.”
The developments come as Jemima Goldsmith, who reportedly dated Brand for around a year in 2014, made further allegations against the former television star.
Following his sentencing, the 52-year-old claimed on X that she had contacted police to have Brand removed from her home following an alleged violent incident.
She wrote: “I have had my own personal experience of his violence, coercive control and abuse. I had to call the police to have him removed from my house in 2014 during a violent incident.
“I chose not to press charges at the time and not to go public with this, as I was worried about the impact of the press attention on my then teenage children. I have neither seen nor spoken to Brand since that period in 2014.
“Whilst my pain in relation to this pales in comparison to what the women have testified in court have suffered, this was a difficult period in my life which has had a lasting impact.”
If you or somebody you know has been affected by this story, contact Victim Support for free, confidential advice on 08 08 16 89 111 or visit their website, Victim Support – Free, confidential support after crime.