Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on Monday for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others, and the judge told him he had acted as a sexual predator at the height of his fame.
The sentence landed at Southwark Crown Court in London, four days after a jury convicted the 51 year old comedian on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The crimes were committed between 2004 and 2009, while Brand was moving from British radio and TV into Hollywood.
The number breaks down like this. Nine years for the rape, with 18 months on top for the assaults, the longest of the three assault sentences running after the rape term instead of alongside it. Brand has to serve two thirds of the full sentence, seven years, behind bars before he can be released on licence.
“A sexual predator” who acted “how he liked and when he liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live.”
Mr Justice Bennathan said it while passing sentence, after a morning that opened with victim impact statements read to the court. Brand, in custody since the verdicts on Thursday, showed little emotion as the sentence was read out.
The judge did take a year off the rape sentence, crediting the addiction work Brand has done since and the fact that the crimes were committed more than 15 years ago. He also made clear that good character only goes so far when the crimes look like this.
At the trial Brand was cleared of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault. London’s Metropolitan Police have said their investigation into allegations made by two more women is still open.
On Thursday he was a convicted man waiting on a number. The number is 10 and a half years.
See also: Russell Brand found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults and EDP445 arrested in Las Vegas on four felony charges.