Russell Brand’s father suggests his rapist son is the real victim

Russell Brand’s father suggests his rapist son is the real victim Ron Brand said both his son and daughter-in-law are ‘strong’ when asked how the disgraced comic would cope in prison - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Russell Brand’s father has suggested his son is a “victim” and that it is “possible” the jury in his trial was corrupt. The disgraced comedian was convicted of raping one of his fans at his London home in 2009, as well as sexually assaulting three female staffers at various TV and radio stations during his rise to international fame. He was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday to 10-and-a-half years in jail. Defending his 51-year-old son after the sentencing, Ron Brand said he did not believe in the justice system “on the basis of what I just watched”, before suggesting the jury had been corrupted. When asked if he had a message for Brand’s victims, he responded: “The victim? What, Russell?”. After a reporter replied “Not Russell – his victims”, he responded: "The girls you mean, who chased him and harassed him – is that what you mean?" Asked how his son would cope in prison, Ron Brand told reporters: “Yeah, he’s strong, he’s strong.” Then asked how his daughter-in-law, Laura Gallacher, would hold up with her husband in prison, he added: “She’s strong as well.” Ms Gallacher, who is said to be standing by her husband, was sat just a few feet away from the shamed comedian in the glass-walled dock. Brand displayed no emotion in the dock as he was told his punishment. He paused briefly to tell his wife “we’ll be OK” as he was being led away to the cells. Southwark Crown Court heard Brand had abused his celebrity status to prey on women, and had harboured a “casual arrogant disregard to any woman’s right to say no to you”. On Monday, Mr Justice Bennathan slammed Brand’s “staggering arrogance” and said: “About 20 years ago Russell Brand, you were becoming famous, you were clever, and in many people’s eyes you were funny and charismatic. “You had also become a sexual predator.” The rape victim told the court how she was a big fan of Brand before going to see him at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009, and she was picked out of the crowd by the comedian to join him backstage. She willingly engaged in a threesome at the venue, then agreed to visit Brand’s £2.3 million townhouse in Hampstead Village to have sex. But she said the encounter turned into rape when Brand had anal sex with her, ignored her pleas for him to stop, and pinned her down so she was struggling to breathe. She told the court on Monday that Brand’s rising fame, with starring roles in Hollywood films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Arthur, his marriage to singer Katy Perry, and his subsequent appearances on TV, radio, stage, and podcasts, left her afraid to speak out for years. “I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed”, she said. He was convicted of sexually assaulting a female Channel 4 worker during a recording session in 2009, shortly after he had started dating Ms Perry. The woman, who was working alone with Brand and his entourage, was forced to massage the star when he threatened to derail the recording session, at which point he knelt down and thrust his head into her groin. She told the court her complaint at the time to Channel 4 was “brushed under the carpet by senior management”. Brand was also found guilty by the jury of sexually assaulting an MTV worker in a Soho bar in 2004 during a birthday party. Brand, wearing a “weird maniacal grin”, grabbed the woman’s breasts within seconds of meeting her. The judge said the woman was “extremely upset and traumatised”, illustrated by the fact she was walking the streets of London later in the evening while crying on the phone to a friend. Brand was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a Capital Radio worker when she bumped into him in a corridor in 2005. She told the court Brand kissed her “sloppily”, groped her body, and just laughed when she eventually managed to push him away. He was found not guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. Defence barrister Ian Winter KC told the court that Ms Gallacher, the sister of TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher and the daughter of Ryder Cup winning golfer Bernard Gallacher, is coping with “total devastation” after the guilty verdicts.