A London jury convicted British comedian Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, and he was taken into custody after the verdict in a case involving allegations from six women.
Jurors found Brand guilty on one rape count and three sexual assault counts. Other verdicts cleared Brand on two rape charges and one attempted indecent assault charge. The jury reached its decisions after more than eight hours of deliberations over two days at Southwark Crown Court, France 24 reported.
The allegations involved six women and events from 1999 to 2009, according to EconoTimes' earlier report on the jury's deliberations.
Brand denied the charges and testified that his sexual encounters had been consensual. His lawyers argued that the women went to police years after the alleged incidents, following a 2023 documentary that aired anonymous allegations about him.
Andy Furphy, a detective superintendent with London's Metropolitan Police, praised the women for reporting the allegations and showing resolve. Judge Joel Bennathan cited concern Brand might flee when rejecting bail. He described the custodial term as “significant,” with sentencing scheduled for Monday.
