Russell Brand's victims speak of 'lasting impact' rape and sexual assault had on them

LAST UPDATE | 6 mins ago

RUSSELL BRAND IS waiting to hear his sentence today after being convicted of rape and multiple sexual assaults .

Before the sentence is handed down at Southward Crown Court, survivors are delivering victim impact statements behind a curtain to protect their anonymity.

A four-week trial heard how Brand (51) preyed on women that he encountered on his way to becoming one of Britain’s best-known comedians, a lauded TV and radio host, and a Hollywood actor who was briefly married to singer Katy Perry.

He was found guilty of raping a young fan he met after one of his Hammersmith Apollo shows in 2009.

Reading her victim impact statement in court today, the woman said that for a long time she felt she couldn’t speak about what happened due to Brand’s celebrity status and influence.

“I did not have the confidence to challenge someone who appeared so powerful, rich and influential,” she said.

I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed.

“I would regularly encounter references to him in the media, which made it difficult to escape reminders of what had happened.”

The woman went on to say that the investigation and criminal justice process have been “extremely difficult”, and she often felt like she was the one “being scrutinised and interrogated”.

“Every update regarding the case brought back memories of the incident and felt like reopening old wounds,” she said.

“The thought of personal details being discussed publicly has caused me significant distress.”

She said that the rape continues to affect her life, as her confidence and self-esteem were impacted.

Brand continued to look straight ahead while the statement was read out.

‘It affected how I viewed myself’

Jurors also found Brand guilty of groping another MTV worker during a party at a Soho bar in 2004, but not guilty of going on to orally rape her in a toilet.

In her victim impact statement, the woman described how the crime affected her over the years.

“When it happened, I was in complete shock and turmoil for weeks trying to process what had happened to me,” she told the court today.

“I was extremely upset and traumatised.

“It really affected how I viewed myself, I didn’t have any respect for myself and got into situations with toxic men as I didn’t have any self-worth.”

The woman said that as Brand’s stardom grew, it was “impossible” not to see him in the media, and she often felt “visibly sick at the sight of him”.

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Brand’s wife Laura Gallacher, who supported him throughout the trial, shook her head as the impact statement was read out.

‘A lasting impact’

Jurors also found Brand guilty of sexually assaulting a Capital Radio worker after encountering her in a corridor in 2005.

The victim said it had a “lasting impact” on her life.

The incident impacted her work but she “tried for so long to be strong and carry on – business as usual”, she wrote in an impact statement read out by a lawyer.

She added: “However, over the years, hearing his voice on television, on social media or seeing his image made me jump.”

The woman went on to say that she came close to withdrawing her allegation because she did not think she “was strong enough emotionally” to proceed.

She concluded her statement by saying: “Russell Brand is a sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life.”

I just hope that he is not allowed to hurt any more women.

Furthermore, Brand is guilty of sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker during a forced massage in 2009.

The woman said in court today that she lost trust in people after the experience, and her workplace no longer felt safe.

She said the process of reporting the incident “felt like a marathon I had not trained for”.

“I was so worried about whether I would be supported and heard, because I wasn’t when I first spoke up initially after the assault first happened,” she said.

“Because the investigation took so much out of me and there was so much to juggle, I had to step back from work commitments.

“I was continually worrying about the effect this would have on myself and my family and what impact it would have on them and whether there would be any safety implications.”

She said she fears the assault will “haunt me every day”.

While she is now believed, she remains anxious that “there will be repercussions for telling the truth”.

As he entered the dock at the beginning of today’s hearing, Brand turned to his wife Laura Gallacher in the public gallery and mouthed: “It’ll be okay, I don’t know how, but it will.”

Gallacher said “oh God” as she saw Brand enter the dock, before telling him: “I love you.”

The shamed former comedian was also seen holding a crucifix, performing a cross with his hand, and saying a prayer as one of the victims entered court to deliver their statement.

With reporting by the Press Association