Russell Brand is reportedly ‘petrified’ spending his first night behind bars after being offered an ‘inedible’ meal and being strip-searched as he faces a “significant custodial sentence”
Russell Brand faces his first night behind bars tonight as he awaits his sentencing hearing on Monday. Sources say the 51-year-old is “petrified” and hungry after being offered an “inedible” microwave meal in custody.
Brand faces a lengthy prison sentence after being found guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others, with sources suggesting he is “petrified” about spending his first night in custody and is being “watched around the clock”.
The 51-year-old was remanded tonight following the verdicts at Southwark Crown Court yesterday, where Mr Justice Bennathan cautioned him that he faced a “significant custodial sentence”. Jurors unanimously convicted Brand of offences against four women between 2004 and 2009.
When the judge told Brand he would not be given the opportunity to say goodbye to his children, fearing he would flee rather than appearing before the court on Monday for sentencing, Brand loudly replied “yes My Lord”.
He has been found guilty of the rape of a 21-year-old woman he encountered after a comedy performance at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. Brand was also convicted of sexually assaulting an MTV employee at a Soho bar, a woman at the Choice FM studios, and a Channel 4 worker who had been instructed to give him a massage.
Prosecutors are also deliberating whether to bring charges against Brand concerning allegations involving two further women, one of whom was just 16 at the time.
Brand had faced seven charges in total: three of rape, three of sexual assault and one of attempted indecent assault. He was acquitted of raping a woman at a hotel in Bournemouth in 1999, during the Labour Party conference at which Brand had been performing at a cabaret show.
The defendant was cleared of an attempted indecent assault charge after being accused of grabbing a woman’s arm and dragging her towards a toilet in central London in 2001. He was also acquitted of orally raping a woman in a bar toilet in London, an attack alleged to have occurred while the pair were attending a birthday celebration together in Soho.
During proceedings, Brand told his wife Laura Gallacher “Laura, I love you” prior to the guilty verdict being delivered, at which point the former actor displayed no visible reaction beyond closing his eyes. As Brand was escorted from the courtroom, he mouthed “I’m OK” several times to his legal team.
It has since emerged that Brand is “petrified” about spending his first night behind bars and is reportedly being “monitored around the clock”.
After being strip-searched and scanned he was offered an ‘inedible’ microwave meal in custody before being allowed a three minute phone call. He was also given a ‘first-night pack’ which consists of toiletries including a toothbrush and toothpaste and a food pack including cereal, tea, milk and sugar.
According to The Sun he has been monitored around the clock and blocked from mixing with other lags.
A source told The Sun: “The first night for anyone in a jail is really daunting – and Brand was petrified. It will be a massive shock to the system to him and he will be monitored around the clock.
“All prisoners have to strip off in reception which is humiliating and a real wake-up call. He will be in prison-issue clothes and given a first-night pack, which will be a world away from what he is used to. All his cockiness will disappear as he takes in his new surroundings.
“But he will be relatively safe and watched around the clock by officers and banged up away from other inmates to start with.”
The senior detective who spearheaded the investigation into Russell Brand has stated his belief that the convicted comedian continues to pose a threat to women. When questioned on the matter, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy responded: “Yes, I do. I think he’s got that position of power and trust and millions of followers.”
Furphy went on to confirm the investigation remained ongoing, urging any further victims of Brand to come forward. He stated: “What I will say is, our work isn’t done. There is a live investigation still taking place.”
To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed.
Furphy further commented: “I do think there’s a possibility that more women may come forward. What I would say, that if you’ve been a victim of rape or sexual offence by Russell Brand and you’ve not yet spoken to police then come forward.”
Brand’s conviction has ignited demands for legislative reform to address “rape myths” and misconceptions within courtrooms. Throughout the trial, Brand’s barrister Ian Winter KC told jurors that none of the complainants had “resisted or screamed or even tried to leave”.
Claire Waxman, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, has since called upon judges to be legally obligated to direct juries on rape myths and misconceptions during every rape trial. She stated: “The idea that rape victims must scream, physically resist or immediately report an offence is a well-established rape myth, rooted in outdated and harmful assumptions about how victims are expected to behave. That’s why I am calling for a legal duty in the Courts and Tribunals Bill, requiring judges to direct juries on rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial.
“Consistent judicial directions would help challenge stereotypes and improve understanding of trauma.”
Brand will be sentenced on Monday after being found guilty of one count of rape and three charges of sexual assault.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
