The comedian, 51, is being monitored around the clock, according to a source quoted by The Sun. Meanwhile, the detective who led the investigation says he believes Brand still poses a risk to women.
Russell Brand was reportedly “petrified” on his first night in custody, according to a source quoted by The Sun, as he awaits sentencing on Monday 9 November. The 51-year-old was remanded at Southwark Crown Court after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. Mr Justice Bennathan warned him he faced a “significant custodial sentence”. Prosecutors are also considering whether to charge him over allegations involving two further women.
The first night in prison
A source told The Sun that the first night in jail is “really daunting” for anyone and that Brand was “petrified”. “It will be a massive shock to the system to him and he will be monitored around the clock,” the source said.
The source added that all prisoners have to strip in reception, which they described as “humiliating and a real wake-up call”. Brand would be given prison-issue clothes and a first-night pack, “a world away from what he is used to”. “All his cockiness will disappear as he takes in his new surroundings,” the source said. They said he would be “relatively safe”, watched around the clock by officers and held away from other inmates to begin with.
The verdicts
Jurors unanimously convicted Brand of offences against four women between 2004 and 2009. They included the rape of a 21-year-old woman he met after a comedy gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. He was also convicted of sexually assaulting an MTV worker at a Soho bar, a woman at the Choice FM studios and a Channel 4 worker who had been told to give him a massage.
Brand had faced seven charges: three of rape, three of sexual assault and one of attempted indecent assault. He was cleared of raping a woman in a Bournemouth hotel in 1999, during the Labour Party conference, where he had been performing at a cabaret show. He was also found not guilty of orally raping a woman in a toilet at a London bar, during a birthday party in Soho. A third not guilty verdict related to an allegation that he grabbed a woman’s arm and pulled her towards a toilet in central London in 2001, which was charged as attempted indecent assault.
In court, Brand told his wife, Laura Gallacher, “Laura, I love you” before the verdicts. When he was found guilty, he showed no reaction other than closing his eyes. As he was led away, he mouthed “I’m OK” several times to his lawyers.
Detective: “Our work isn’t done”
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who led the investigation, was asked whether he believed Brand still posed a risk to women. “Yes, I do,” he said. “I think he’s got that position of power and trust and millions of followers.”
He said the inquiry was continuing. “Our work isn’t done,” he said. “There is a live investigation still taking place.” He added that he thought more women might come forward. “If you’ve been a victim of rape or sexual offence by Russell Brand and you’ve not yet spoken to police then come forward,” he said.
Calls for change over “rape myths”
The trial has prompted calls for a change in the law to tackle “rape myths” and misconceptions in courtrooms. During the trial, Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, told jurors that none of the complainants had “resisted or screamed or even tried to leave”.
Claire Waxman, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, has called for judges to be legally required to direct juries on rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial.
