Comedian and Hollywood actor Russell Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault Thursday morning as his weeks-long trial concluded.
The 51-year-old had been accused of seven offences across a showbusiness career that began with stand-up comedy at venues like the Hackney Empire and the Edinburgh Fringe in 1999 before he was hired as a video jockey (VJ) for MTV U.K. and gained his own BBC radio show.
Brand gained widespread UK fame hosting Big Brother’s Big Mouth (2004–2007), along with various radio and television shows.
His trial began at Southwark Crown Court in London on 12 October, with the jury hearing testimony from the complainants and witnesses as well as the accused himself.
The BBC reports on the first day of the trial, the prosecution set out details of the alleged offences involving the six women.
The prosecutor described Brand as a “sexual predator” whose “strong desire for some form of sexual contact was indiscriminate and voracious.”
Brand denied all the allegations and maintained his innocence throughout.
He was known for risqué stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol.
Across the Atlantic he appeared in Hollywood films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.
Brand has been remanded in custody and told he faces a “significant custodial term.”
Russell Brand’s wife Laura Gallacher outside Southwark Crown Court, London, after he was found guilty of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three women during his showbiz career. (James Manning/PA Images via Getty )
Court News UK notes Brand is the latest in a series of BBC presenters who have been convicted of serious sexual offending, including Jimmy Savile, Rolf Harris and Stuart Hall.
More to come…
