Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years, 6 months for rape and sexual assault

British comedian and actor Russell Brand was sentenced Monday to 10 years and six months in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others as the judge told him he had been a "sexual predator" whose fame had protected him.

Brand, 51, showed no emotion as judge Joel Bennathan said he had acted with "staggering arrogance" and shown "contempt" for his victims who had suffered significant and lasting harm.

Paying tribute to the "bravery" of the women who came forward, the judge told Brand he had acted "how you liked and when you liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live".

Read moreBritish comedian Russell Brand found guilty of rape, sexual assault

The 51-year-old actor-comedian – known for outrageous stand-up routines and behaviour on television and radio broadcasts, along with drug and alcohol battles – had asserted he was innocent and all his encounters were consensual.

But a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of attacking four of six accusers on allegations dating back to 2004. He was cleared of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.

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Brand's wife Laura Gallacher, with whom he has three children, slumped in her seat in the public gallery of London's Southwark Crown Court on Monday as the sentence was announced.

Brand told his wife, who has supported him in court throughout the case, "we'll be OK" as he was led down to the cells.

The sentence marks the final fall in a scandal-hit showbiz career that saw him embody the anything-goes culture of 2000s British TV and radio.

Brand, who has reinvented himself as an online Christian guru, held a string of prayer beads and made the sign of the cross before one of his victims personally read out her impact statement from behind a screen.

The woman said she had been left "traumatised" by the assault in a London bar in 2004.

"For many years as his star was rising it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women like it was all a joke," she told the court. Brand listened impassively, looking straight ahead.

'Celebrated'

A second woman, a 21-year-old fan he raped in 2009 after they met at one of his shows, told the court she had felt she simply would "not be believed" if she reported him.

"His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless," she said, adding the consequences of the rape had "affected almost every aspect of my life".

The hearing came as Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the victims' bravery would bring about wider changes to the legal system.

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Burnham pledged to be "relentless in making whatever improvements we can" to provide more support for victims, including setting up teams in every police force for handling rapes and serious sexual offences.

Brand was cleared of two other alleged rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault. But he is facing further investigations after London police said it was probing rape allegations by two more women.

From Channel 4 to MTV and an eponymous primetime show on BBC Radio 2, the wild-haired comedian worked for major British media houses in the 2000s, where his obsession with sex contributed to his notoriety.

Brand denied the charges, but he admitted to being "extremely promiscuous" and using his fame to "facilitate sexual access".

'Wake-up call'

Born to working-class parents in Essex, east of London in 1975, Brand dropped out of drama school before joining MTV at the age of 25.

He had his own radio show at the BBC, which last week apologised for the "culture and failings" when Brand worked there between 2006 and 2008.

Brand left the BBC after sending a well-known actor sexually explicit messages about having slept with his granddaughter.

He made a foray into Hollywood after a brief marriage in 2010 to US pop star Katy Perry, followed by a stint as a left-wing commentator and campaigner.

The court found him guilty of sexual assaults against an MTV worker, a Channel 4 worker and a Capital Radio employee, as well as raping a fan.

The organisations that propped up Brand for years are now facing questions about how he continued for so long.

British Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy on Sunday said men in power were still exploiting women in the media industry, saying his case was a "wake-up call".

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters, AP)