Brand Remanded as Sentencing Set for Monday, Nov 9

Russell Brand was remanded in custody after his conviction, with sentencing set for Nov. 9 as police probe two further rape allegations.

@sharedot

Brand Remanded as Sentencing Set for Monday, Nov 9

By @sharedot · · 7 pages

  • Comedy
  • Russell Brand
  • Courts

Russell Brand was remanded in custody after his conviction, with sentencing set for Nov. 9 as police probe two further rape allegations.

What Happened After the Verdict

Following Thursday's guilty verdicts at Southwark Crown Court, Russell Brand was remanded in custody and denied bail, with sentencing scheduled for Monday, November 9, according to Connected to India.

CNBC TV18 reports the 51-year-old faces what the judge indicated should be a significant custodial sentence, and Georgia Public Broadcasting says the judge told Brand he is facing a "significant custodial term."

Brand, who denied all charges, showed little emotion as the verdict was read, while his wife Laura was said to be visibly upset, per GPB's account of journalists in the courtroom.

Why the Remand Matters

The remand is the surprise turn for comedy-watchers who followed Brand's years of reinvention as an online broadcaster and podcaster.

Rather than leaving court a free man pending sentencing, Brand was taken straight into custody after the jury convicted him of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, Connected to India reports, which notes he faces the possibility of life in prison.

The judge, Joel Bennathan, refused bail, so Brand will learn his fate next week from behind bars — a stark reversal from the alternative-media career he built on YouTube and Rumble, as CNBC TV18's profile of his trajectory describes.

The Evidence the Jury Accepted

Georgia Public Broadcasting details the specific counts behind the guilty verdicts: sexual assault for grabbing the breasts of a woman at a London bar in 2004, grabbing the breasts and bottom of a woman at a radio station studio around the same time, laying his head in the groin area of a woman he worked with on a TV project in 2009, and one count of rape involving a woman he met after a comedy show in 2009.

Brand was acquitted of two additional rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault, all three outlets agree. Senior prosecutor David Roberts, quoted by GPB, said the evidence showed Brand to be a "calculated sexual predator."

The Stakes Beyond This Case

The case is not over with the verdict. The Metropolitan Police said investigations into two additional rape allegations were continuing, CNBC TV18 reports, and Connected to India notes one of those cases involves a woman who was 16 at the time.

Prosecutors are also assessing whether further charges should be brought, per CNBC TV18. Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police said the verdict is a testament to the courage of the women who reported what happened to them, and that no one is above the law no matter how famous, GPB reports.

The six women who testified are entitled to lifelong anonymity, Connected to India notes.

What Comes Next

Sentencing is set for Monday, November 9, when Brand will learn the length of his jail term, Connected to India reports.

The pack's outlets sketch different next chapters: CNBC TV18 traces how Brand moved from mainstream broadcasting into online commentary on spirituality and faith, GPB notes he pivoted from loved-by-the-left political commentary to support from figures on the American right, and Connected to India records that Brand maintained throughout his testimony that the encounters were consensual or fabricated.

Sources

  1. cnbctv18.com › Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault: How the comedian rose to fame
  2. gpb.org › From comedian to convicted rapist: What to know about Russell Brand
  3. connectedtoindia.com › Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault by UK court

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