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Russell Brand Held Beach Party Before Returning to UK for Rape Trial
About 100 people attended the barbecue, where Brand prayed with guests and said he was placing his faith in God before the UK trial.
On Monday, November 9, Southwark Crown Court sentenced Russell Brand to 10 years and 6 months in prison for raping a fan and sexually assaulting three other women at the height of his fame.
Before his trial began, Brand hosted a beach barbecue on September 27 in Grayton Beach, Florida, attended by about 100 guests including his wife, Laura, and members of Path of Grace Recovery.
A jury found Brand guilty of raping a 21-year-old woman in 2009 and assaulting three female workers between 2004 and 2009, despite his claims during trial that he had "never touched a woman without her consent."
Justice Joel Bennathan described Brand as a "sexual predator" with "staggering arrogance," ruling that the actor abused his fame and power to satisfy a "voracious" appetite for gratification.
The judge reduced Brand's sentence by one year due to lack of prior convictions, though he will serve time at HMP Wandsworth, a prison designated for sex offenders.