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Sima Kotecha, Senior UK Correspondent (Southwark Crown Court), Stephen Mackintosh, Reporter
Warning: This article contains shocking content.
On the 9th, a London court sentenced popular British comedian Russell Brand, 51, to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault. On the 5th, a jury found the defendant guilty of sexually assaulting four women between 2004 and 2009.
In sentencing, Judge Joel Bennathan called Brand a "sexual predator" and criticized his "astonishing arrogance."
Brand was sentenced to nine years in prison for the rape charge, plus 18 months, nine months and eight months each for the three sexual assault charges.
Bland was unresponsive in the dock during sentencing. Just before he was taken to jail, he told his wife, Laura Bland, who was in the courtroom, ``I love you'' with just the movement of his lips.
According to the guidelines, prisoners sentenced to four years or more for serious violent or sexual offenses will be released after two-thirds of their sentence has been served. In the case of the brand defendant, it will be seven years later.
After release, the defendant will likely spend the remainder of his sentence on parole, but he will have to follow certain rules, such as wearing an electronic tag. British criminal law has an early release system, but it does not apply to the defendant because it does not apply to sex offenders or murderers.
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In total, Brand was sentenced to the following sentences:
During sentencing, the judge praised the courage of the women who testified at the trial.
The judge also said Brand's position protected him until 2023, when a series of allegations of misconduct were revealed by The Sunday Times, The Times, Channel 4 and others in the same year, leading to women filing complaints with police.
The judge said the defendant had a personality that "easily and arrogantly ignored a woman's right to say no" and believed his reputation meant he could "be whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted".
The judge said the evidence in the trial also showed that at the height of Brand's celebrity, those in his circle "tolerated your terrible behavior".
Prior to sentencing, the court heard victim impact statements from the women who were allegedly assaulted by the defendant.
"I've been in shock and confusion for years," said one woman who spoke through the doorway.
"I was very shaken up and it took a lot of psychological damage."
"I had no self-esteem at all. I believed I was defective and was afraid of giving out signals that would be misunderstood."
The woman added: "I just want to say, a leopard may change its spots, but a leopard is still a leopard."
"Russell Brand is moving on," the woman who was sexually assaulted by Brand in 2005 said in a statement read in court. "This had a long-lasting impact on my life. I realize it now."
"But in the past few years, whenever I hear his voice or see him on TV, I get freaked out. When I hear his voice, I feel a strong revulsion."
"Russell Brand is a sex offender who shows no remorse. I hope he never hurts another woman."
A statement from the woman Brando allegedly raped was also submitted to the court.
"I felt anxious, humiliated and overwhelmed," the woman said. "I couldn't sleep or eat, struggled to control my emotions, and had to take time off from work."
"I had to live with my parents and asked for help and support...I live with the trauma and it weighs on me every day."
"My confidence and self-esteem have been severely damaged. I can no longer trust my instincts."
The woman said that one of the worst things about the incident was the fear that she might have contracted the AIDS virus (HIV). He also said he suffered considerable pain after the assault.
The woman, who was sexually assaulted while working on a Channel 4 project with Brando in 2009, said in a statement that she was "really shaken up" after the incident.
"I felt like I had lost trust in people, and I felt like the work environment was unsafe."
"At that time, I felt helpless, which negatively affected my self-confidence."
The verdict was handed down on the 5th after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Brand was acquitted of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The defendant must automatically sign the sex offenders' register as part of his sentence.
During the sentencing, his wife, Laura, sat a few meters away from her husband in the glass-enclosed defendant's box.
When Brand arrived at the defendant's stand that day, he told his wife, ``I'm fine. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm sure it'll be fine.'' He was also seen praying and making the sign of the cross with his hands while the victim's statement was read out.
Brand's lawyer, Ian Winter, submitted six character statements, including a letter of recommendation from Georgina Bailey, the granddaughter of the late actor Andrew Sachs.
Mr Bailey came into the public eye in 2008 after Brand and Jonathan Ross left offensive messages about him on Mr Sacks' answering machine during a Radio 2 broadcast.
Winter also told the court that Laura, who testified in her husband's defense during the trial, was "absolutely devastated" by the verdict. "Right now we're struggling to figure out how to explain what happened here to our 10-year-old child," he said of the Brands.
"This incident is a stark reminder of the consequences of such actions for the completely innocent people involved."
Sentencing Brand, the judge said: "You are fully aware that by going to prison your children will be deprived of a father."
"However, that sad loss of children was caused by your serious criminal conduct."
(English article: Russell Brand sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison for rape and sexual assault)
