Brand faces taunts and isolation in prison after conviction

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 8 Nov, 15:32 · Archive

Russell Brand, convicted of rape and sexual assault, is reportedly being taunted by fellow inmates and kept in isolation at HMP Wandsworth.

Russell Brand was convicted on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London. He remains in custody at HMP Wandsworth, a south London prison, ahead of sentencing scheduled for Monday.

According to reports citing prison sources, hundreds of inmates have been repeatedly taunting Brand with abusive chants, with prisoners allegedly shouting the same vulgar phrase over and over. The New York Post and GB News both report that Brand is 'cowering in fear' in his cell as a result of the harassment. A prison source told the Daily Mail that Wandsworth is understaffed at weekends, with little out-of-cell time, and that prisoners have made Brand 'the object' of their taunting to pass the time. GB News reports that Brand has been 'going around like a shadow', only leaving his cell to collect food at mealtimes before returning.

A retired Scotland Yard detective chief inspector, Mike Neville, told TalkTV that Brand faces a particularly difficult situation because of his celebrity status and the nature of his convictions. Neville explained that Brand cannot be placed in the vulnerable person's unit with other sex offenders, nor safely housed alongside general prisoners. This means he is likely to be kept in solitary confinement in the segregation unit for his own protection.

The Mirror reports an unearthed clip from The Jonathan Ross Show in 2014 in which Brand discussed his discomfort with police cells, saying he found them 'lonely' and 'tiresome'. Neville described the conditions Brand could expect, noting the stark contrast between his previous life in an £8 million mansion and a prison cell with a concrete bed, thin mattress, and fixed furniture.

HMP Wandsworth itself is known to be troubled. According to official reports, the prison is severely overcrowded, operating at 163 per cent of its certified normal capacity, and conditions have been described as 'inhumane', with inmates sometimes going weeks without a full change of clothing and showers described as damp, unhygienic and prone to mould.

How it is being reported

• 'I'm a retired detective – Russell Brand at real risk from prisoners with nothing to lose'A retired Scotland Yard detective has issued a stark warning about the dangers Russell Brand could face in prisonDaily Express · 8 Nov, 15:10
• Russell Brand talks of being 'tired and lonely' in police cell in unearthed clipRussell Brand has been described as 'shaken and quiet' during his first days in prison, but as his 2014 appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show shows, it's not his first taste of a cellThe Mirror · 8 Nov, 12:30
• Russell Brand left 'cowering in fear' in London's HMP Wandsworth as inmates threaten himRussell Brand is said to have been left "cowering in fear" in his HMP Wandsworth cell as hundreds of inmates shouting and making threatening chants at the convicted rapist. After being found guilty of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three women on Thursday, the actor and comedian has been held in the south London prison ahead of his sentencing on Monday. Brand is said to have become a high-profile target for his fellow prisoners, who have been repeatedly taunting him by shouting: "There's a Brand new n***e on the wing! A Brand new n***e. Brand, you c***, you ain't so f***ing…GB News · 8 Nov, 10:33
• Convicted rapist Russell Brand ‘cowering in fear’ as inmates taunt him with vulgar chant: reportConvicted rapist Russell Brand is reportedly "cowering in fear" inside his prison cell as hundreds of fellow inmates taunt him with abusive chants.New York Post · 8 Nov, 03:35

In this story: Russell Brand · HMP Wandsworth · Southwark Crown Court · Scotland Yard · Mike Neville · London

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log