00:01About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous.
00:06You were clever and, in many people's eyes, funny and charismatic.
00:12You had also become a sexual predator.
00:16The whole episode reeks of casual disrespect and your belief that fame meant you could
00:22act how you liked, when you liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live.
00:28Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being found
00:33guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault, involving four women between 2004 and 2009.
00:40Passing the sentence, Judge Joel Benetton described the 51-year-old as a sexual predator, criticising
00:47what he called his staggering arrogance.
00:49Brand showed little reaction as the sentence was handed down.
00:53Before being taken to the cells, he mouthed the words, I love you, to his wife, Laura Brand,
00:58who was sitting in court.
00:59He'll be eligible for release after serving two-thirds of his sentence, that's around seven
01:04years, before spending the remainder on licence, subject to conditions including electronic
01:10tagging.
01:11The Crown Prosecution Service says a key part of its case was demonstrating a pattern of
01:16behaviour by Brand in how he used his growing fame and influence to manipulate situations
01:21involving women.
01:22Prosecutors acknowledged that, given the time which had passed, the evidence available was
01:28limited.
01:29Instead, the CPS pieced together accounts from the victims and other witnesses to build a
01:34picture of what had happened.
01:35The CPS adopted what's known as a suspect-centric approach, focusing on the actions and behaviour
01:41of the defendant, rather than how the women responded or when they reported the alleged offences.
01:48The prosecution also emphasised that consent must always be freely given, can be withdrawn
01:53at any time, and that consenting to sexual activity in the past does not mean consenting
01:59again.
02:07Today's sentence marks a significant milestone in our investigation and means Russell Brand
02:13has been held accountable for his crimes.
02:16My thoughts today are with the women who came forward and made this investigation possible.
02:21The evidence presented in this case showed Brand to be a manipulative sexual predator,
02:25using his growing fame and power to create situations in which he could pursue women sexually,
02:32regardless of what they wanted, with a complete disregard for the impact of his actions.
02:38Today's result shows that fame, status and a passage of time do not change the fundamental
02:43issue of consent.
02:45No matter who the abuser is, or what the situation or circumstances are, we will always take allegations
02:51of rape and sexual assault seriously and work with our police partners to fully investigate
02:56and prosecute wherever we can.
02:59Before sentencing, the court heard powerful impact statements from the women involved,
03:04describing the lasting effects Brand's offences have had on their lives.
03:08One woman, speaking from behind a screen, said she'd spent years in shock and turmoil,
03:14describing how the experience left her traumatised and affected her self-worth.
03:18Another, who was sexually assaulted in 2005, said hearing Brand's voice or seeing his image
03:25over the years had caused her to react with fear.
03:27She described him as a sexual predator who has no remorse, saying she hoped he would not
03:33be allowed to hurt any more women.
03:34The woman Brand was convicted of raping also spoke of the lasting impact, describing anxiety,
03:40humiliation and difficulties sleeping and coping with her emotions.
03:44She said her confidence and self-esteem had been badly affected.
03:47Adding that she was still living with the trauma every day.
03:51Everybody will be thinking about the women who had the courage to come forward.
03:55Their bravery will, I believe, change the system more broadly.
04:00And we will be relentless in making whatever improvements we can.
04:04But there's no complacency here.
04:06There's a lot more that needs to change.
04:08Now, Brand is facing a further two more rape allegations.
04:12Brand has already been questioned by police in connection with the complaints.
04:16The Metropolitan Police says its investigation remains ongoing.
04:21Legal documents from a hearing before the trial suggest one of the women was 16 at the time of the
04:26alleged incident,
04:27which was linked to a Channel 4 documentary.
04:29The detective who led the investigation has also suggested more women could come forward following Brand's conviction,
04:36with senior police figures saying they would not be surprised if further allegations emerged.
04:40Meanwhile, Brand's former partner, Jemima Goldsmith, has spoken publicly about her own experiences,
04:48claiming she was subjected to violence, coercive control and abuse during their relationship.
04:52She said she had called police to have Brand removed from her home during what she described as a violent
04:58incident in 2014,
05:00but chose not to press charges at the time, citing concerns about the impact of media attention on her children.
05:06Goldsmith said the experience had left a lasting impact on her while expressing her support for the women who came
05:12forward during the trial.
