Russell Brand guilty verdict live: ‘Predatory’ comedian told he faces long prison sentence after rape conviction

Russell Brand guilty verdict live: ‘Predatory’ comedian told he faces long prison sentence after rape conviction Brand closed his eyes as he was found guilty of raping a young fan after one of his shows in 2009 – but was cleared of two other counts of rape and one attempted indecent assault - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join todayAlready a member? Log in Russell Brand is facing years behind bars after he was found guilty of one count of rape and three sexual assaults following a dramatic four-week trial. Brand, now 51, preyed on women he encountered while becoming one of Britain’s best-known stand-up comedians, a lauded TV and radio host, and a Hollywood film star. His victims told the trial how he had forced them into sexual activity, sometimes within seconds of their first meeting, using his immense fame to pursue a goal of sex with 5,000 women. At Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, a jury found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, after deliberating for eight-and-a-half hours. He was cleared by the jury of two counts of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault. The comedian stood upright in the dock and showed limited emotion as the verdicts were delivered. Judge Mr Justice Bennathan told Brand the charges meant he faced “a custodial sentence of some length” when he is sentenced on Monday. Social-media users condemn Brand barrister remarks to journalist Social media users overwhelmingly condemned remarks by Russell Brand’s barrister, who launched into a tirade at a journalist after the comedian was found guilty of rape and sexual assault. Ian Winter KC confronted Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin, whose investigation led to Brand’s victims coming forward, telling her: “I hope you are pleased with yourself.” Ms Urwin responded: “I’m pleased justice has been done,” before Mr Winter replied: “Well, it wasn’t. You f***** it.” He added: “Congratulations.” In an interview on Times Radio following the exchange, Ben Taylor, editor of The Sunday Times, said: “I found what Mr Winter did quite extraordinary. I have never seen or heard of a barrister behaving in this way. “There’s a really serious point here, which is that it was not Ros who found Russell Brand guilty at Southwark Crown Court. It was a jury of eight men and four women who have sat through this case. “They’ve listened to the evidence, they’ve listened to the defence, and they have gone away and they’ve come back with some very considered verdicts. “By impugning Ros’ integrity, what Mr Winter is doing – and he should really be called to account for this – he’s impugning the integrity of the entire case.” Brand tried to smear journalists as 'criminals' It can now be revealed that Brand tried to smear journalists as “criminals” and claimed women accusing him of abuse were “fictional” in a bid to avoid trial. In legal argument that can now be reported for the first time, Brand tried to claim that TV and newspaper journalists had plotted to get him prosecuted and, by publishing the findings of their investigation, had perverted the course of justice. The shamed comedian-turned-conspiracy theorist, 51, argued he had been “destroyed” by a “trial by media” when The Sunday Times and a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary exposed him as a sexual predator in 2023. But prosecutors fought against the charges being thrown out, and the judge rejected the arguments of Brand’s lawyers, saying it was “unpersuasive” to claim that journalists had committed a crime. He ruled: “There is a history, both modern and ancient, of the media running what they claim are exposes of misconduct.” He highlighted media coverage of alleged unlawful donations to Reform UK this year, as well as allegations in Private Eye magazine in the 1960s about the Kray twins, and said: “Sometimes those claimed revelations lead to convictions, sometimes they do not. It has never been suggested that that type of publication is unlawful.” The judge concluded the jury could be selected from members of the public who had not read The Times and Sunday Times reporting or seen the Dispatches programme. Watch: Brand used fame to exploit women, say police Opinion: We all fell for Brand’s personality cult – we were groomed for it I was warned about Russell Brand 20 years ago – this verdict surprises no one In pictures: Brand's downfall From this... to this... Inside the courtroom, Brand was a shadow of himself. He knew the game was up Inside the courtroom, Russell Brand was a shadow of his flamboyant self Entertainment industry culture lets powerful get away with crimes, says charity The rape and sexual assaults committed by Brand demonstrate how perpetrators in the public eye are often able to act with impunity, a women’s charity says. Campaigners highlighted how entertainment and media industry cultures can contribute to high-profile figures’ offending. Deniz Ugur, deputy director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said the incredibly difficult challenge of reporting rape and sexual assault to police can be “heightened when the perpetrator has a significant amount of wealth and status and a network of power”. She added: “What we see with powerful perpetrators is that there are often others around them which enable abuse or are complicit in it through cultures of silence. “These institutional cultures are found across the entertainment industry, media and beyond, and prevent survivors from accessing justice. “Perpetrators with power, wealth and status are often able to weaponise the law to silence survivors and even the media, through legal threats and NDAs (non-disclosure agreements).” The BBC has twice apologised to victims for the culture that allowed Brand to commit his crimes and for how complaints were handled. Brand said he was ready to go to jail Brand said earlier this year that he was ready to go to prison. He told Piers Morgan in April: “I am not afraid of the truth, and if the truth is I am going to prison, then I'm – I my job will be: do not be afraid of that truth. That is what you are going to do.” Judge Mr Justice Bennathan told Brand the charges meant he faced “a custodial sentence of some length” when he is sentenced on Monday.