OMM Newsroom
The Metropolitan Police are assessing several new reports concerning comedian Russell Brand following his conviction and sentencing for rape and sexual assault, Anadolu Agency reported.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who led the investigation into Brand, told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday that officers had received “several reports during the trial and since the trial”.
Police are reviewing the information to determine whether it points to further alleged misconduct or possible criminal offences. “We’re in the process of triaging those reports and looking at exactly what we’ve got, whether they’re information that points to behaviour or whether they could constitute a criminal offence, so our work isn’t done,” Furphy said.
Brand is also subject to a separate investigation following rape allegations made by two other women. He has been interviewed under caution in connection with those allegations.
On Monday, the 51-year-old was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault involving four women between 2004 and 2009. During sentencing, Judge Joel Bennathan called Brand a “sexual predator” and criticised his “staggering arrogance”.
Meanwhile, MP Dame Caroline Dinenage renewed concerns about Brand’s ability to continue posting videos to millions of social media followers during the investigation and trial. She questioned how he had been able to publicly deny the allegations and present his account while legal proceedings were under way.
“This does continue to be an issue that he has made money throughout the process on his social media platform,” she told the BBC.
“It just felt very odd that during the height of when there was a police investigation and some really serious allegations in the paper, that he was able to go online to his two-and-a-half million followers, denying everything and putting his side of the story forward.”
