Before handing down the sentence, Judge Joel Bennathan praised the “determination and courage” shown by the women who testified against the comedian, the BBC reports.
Brand showed no reaction as he received his sentence. Before being led out of the courtroom, he exchanged glances with his wife, who was watching the trial, British media reports.
Convicted last week
On November 5, Brand was convicted in a London court of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Since then, Brand, who was on bail during the trial, has been in custody.
Before the sentence was pronounced, the court heard testimony from the victims about how the crimes had affected them.
“It’s something I carry with me every day, and it often feels like it never ends,” said the woman who, according to the verdict, was raped by Russell Brand at his home in London in 2009, Sky News reports.
Russell Brand listened to the evidence without showing any emotion, according to Sky News.
During the hearing, Brand also had the chance to present mitigating circumstances through his defence attorney, Ian Winter. He argued that Brand is a “fundamentally different person” now compared with when he committed the crimes, and that they should be seen as isolated incidents rather than a pattern.
But the judge cut short that argument:
“Saying ‘he got away with it for 17 years’ is not necessarily particularly mitigating,” he said, according to Sky News.
Investigated over further allegations
The trial of the British comedian and actor covered events that occurred between 1999 and 2009, with six different women as plaintiffs.
In total, the indictment included seven counts. Brand was acquitted of two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Police have said Russell Brand is being investigated following additional rape allegations from two women and believe more people may come forward.
What do you think?