British actor and comedian Russell Brand is behind bars this weekend after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. ( Reuters: Toby Shepheard )
If Russell Brand was at all worried about being found guilty in his four-week rape and sexual assault trial, he was not showing it.
I was standing a few people behind the British actor and comedian in the queue for security checks outside London's Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, when he broke briefly into song.
"Sweet Caroline," he sang to a woman beside him in the line, quoting the famous Neil Diamond hit.
The woman had introduced herself to the star as Caroline, and the pair chatted jovially while waiting to move forward.
Inside court, just minutes later, the jury began its second day of deliberations.
On other mornings, as Brand was greeted at court by a flurry of camera flashes, journalists asked how he was feeling.
Throughout the trial, the comedian-turned-born-again Christian influencer continued to make social media videos with his wife, Laura, for their millions of followers.
As the court heard harrowing, graphic and often tearful accounts from Brand's six accusers, he did not flinch.
When he gave evidence himself, he did so standing up unnaturally straight.
Russell Brand giving evidence during his trial. ( Reuters: Julia Quenzler )
At crunch time — when the guilty verdicts were read out on Thursday — the comedian stood to attention like a soldier on parade and showed no emotion.
When his lawyer applied for bail ahead of sentencing on Monday, he said his client wanted time to say goodbye to his wife and three children over the weekend.
Outside court and in, this was a defendant who did not seem to think he would go to jail.
British newspapers cover the opening of Russell Brand's sexual assault trial. ( ABC News: Alex Parsons )
Brand has been on trial since mid-October for seven historical sex offences relating to six women spanning a decade from 1999 to 2009.
After eight and a half hours of deliberations, the jury of four women and eight men found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
He was acquitted of a further two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
British actor and comedian Russell Brand arrived at court with his wife Laura on Thursday before he was remanded in custody. ( Reuters: Maja Smiejkowska )
On the steps of Southwark Crown Court afterwards, police praised the "extraordinary courage, resilience and determination" of the women, while pulling no punches about Brand.
"Russell Brand used his influence, status, and fame to prey on and exploit women. As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement," Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, from London's Metropolitan Police Service, said.
Russell Brand was found guilty of raping a woman at his house in 2009. ( Supplied: Metropolitan Police )
During the trial, journalists could only report what was said and done in front of the jury, but with verdicts returned and restrictions lifted, we can now give more detail from one of the most high-profile criminal trials in recent British history.
Brand is no longer a mainstream comedian and actor, and instead styles himself as a Christian influencer, broadcasting online prayer videos and sermons to millions.
His faith was on full public display from day one of the trial. When he was first shown into the dock before jury selection, he went down on one knee and appeared to pray.
British actor and comedian Russell Brand arriving at Southwark Crown Court during the third week of his trial. ( Reuters: Hannah McKay )
During the trial he wore crucifixes of different sizes, he sometimes carried a bible with sticky notes marking pages, and at least one day he was handling what looked like prayer beads.
Unusually for a defendant in a criminal trial, he posted repeatedly on social media — not about the evidence but about his feelings, his faith, and his disdain for the mainstream media.
It can now be reported that Brand's legal team tried to have the case thrown out, before the trial had even begun because of negative press about him.
Barrister Ian Winter KC argued his client could not receive a fair trial because of 2023 media reports with allegations about Brand — allegations that prompted the women who would ultimately be the complainants in this trial to come forward.
Mr Winter's application was denied, but he would go on to say during the trial that the 2023 reporting had "poisoned the well".
The 2023 allegations in the media were not part of the trial.
In an extraordinary moment in the corridor at the end of proceedings, Mr Winter launched a tirade at Sunday Times Chief News Correspondent Rosamund Urwin, who worked on the 2023 investigation.
“I hope you are pleased with yourself,” Mr Winter said.
Ms Urwin responded that she was “pleased justice has been done".
Mr Winter replied, “well, it wasn’t. You f***** it. Congratulations".
On Friday the top silk reported himself to the Bar Standards Board over the exchange.
Photographers greeted British actor and comedian Russell Brand and his wife Laura at court every day of the trial. ( Reuters: Toby Melville )
There were other moments of courtroom drama during the trial.
On day one, lawyers for People Magazine in the US were hauled before Judge Joel Bennathan to explain why the magazine had reported the attempt to have the case thrown out, when a court order had been made to keep that out of the public domain.
Judge Bennathan then put journalists in court and beyond on notice that he would not be lenient if there were further contempt of court risks.
Another day, police arrested a blogger who had identified one of Brand's accusers, all of whom are granted lifelong anonymity by the court.
The man, who had been sitting in the spillover court watching proceedings on a large video screen, was detained for 12 hours, cautioned, and forced to amend his blog posts.
There are more allegations about Brand that we can now report too.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said more accusors were likely to come forward. ( Reuters: Chris J. Ratcliffe )
The Metropolitan Police revealed its detectives are currently investigating allegations of rape from two more women in the UK, while there are two civil claims afoot against Brand relating to his time in the US.
The head of Scotland Yard Sir Mark Rowley has said he "wouldn't be surprised" if more people came forward to make allegations. He has appealed for them to do so.
Brand, meanwhile, is spending his first weekend behind bars.
Judge Bennathan denied his bail application saying that while he regrets the impact on the 51-year-old's children, their father had the resources to be a flight risk.
The verdict marks a massive fall from grace for the entertainer; once a swaggering exhibitionist performing to huge crowds, now a convicted rapist in a prison cell.
Russell Brand during one of his police interviews. ( Supplied: Metropolitan Police )
For the rape and three sexual assaults he was found guilty of this week, Brand will be sentenced on Monday.
The judge has already flagged the rape conviction alone will mean a "significant custodial sentence".
