Actor Russell Brand has been remanded to prison. After being convicted of rape by a UK Jury on Thursday (November 5). And based on the latest report from Page Six, it could be a while before he is out of prison.
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The Get Him To The Greek Star awaits sentencing. And one legal expert based in the United Kingdom told the outlet that they expect the actor to spend significant time in prison.
Brand Could Spend Significant Time in Prison After Rape Conviction
Kally Sahota, senior solicitor and director of Sahota & Sahota Solicitors, told Page Six that he expects Brand to spend close to a decade behind bars.
"My estimate, based on the convictions and what is publicly known, would be in the region of eight or nine years. Although the final sentence is for the judge to decide," the expert said to the outlet.
The United Kingdom has no tolerance for convicted rapists. A rape conviction can carry a sentence of life in prison in the UK. However, Sahota says that he does not expect that to be the case for the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star.
Sahota also explained that the sentencing guidelines for rape in the United Kingdom carry a range of four to 19 years in prison.
The expert says that the presiding judge in Brand's case will play a significant role. In how he is sentenced for his three sexual assault convictions. And whether the actor's sentences will run concurrently or consecutively (one after the other).
"The court then applies the principle of 'totality.' To ensure the overall sentence reflects all the offending and is proportionate," Sahota explained.
There were a total of seven allegations against Brand, coming from six women who claimed that the actor assaulted them. The allegations spanned from 1999 to 2009.
Following the decision, Andy Furphy, the detective superintendent in the case, said that he hopes the verdict sends a clear message. That celebrity status will never absolve a person from consequences for breaking the law.
"As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement," Furphy said. "I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be."
Brand is set to be sentenced on Monday (November 9).
