00:00From the very beginning our investigation was never about Russell Brand's profile, status or celebrity.
00:07Our focus has always been on the women who reported these offences and on conducting a thorough and impartial investigation
00:14into the allegations that they made.
00:16Today's sentence marks a significant milestone in our investigation and means Russell Brand has been held accountable for his crimes.
00:25My thoughts today are with the women who came forward and made this investigation possible.
00:31Reporting sexual offences can be incredibly difficult and they have shown immense bravery, dignity and resilience throughout what has been
00:40a lengthy and challenging trial process.
00:43I am incredibly proud of the investigation team who worked tirelessly to gather evidence, pursue every available line of inquiry
00:52and support the victims throughout this process.
00:55Working closely with colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, they built a case that has ultimately resulted in a dangerous
01:02offender being brought to justice.
01:05Today's sentence cannot undo the harm these victims have lived with, but I hope it brings with them some measure
01:12of justice.
01:14The evidence presented in this case showed Brand to be a manipulative sexual predator, using his growing fame and power
01:21to create situations in which he could pursue women sexually, regardless of what they wanted, with a complete disregard for
01:29the impact of his actions.
01:31Today's result shows that fame, status and a passage of time do not change the fundamental issue of consent.
01:38No matter who the abuser is or what the situation or circumstances are, we will always take allegations of rape
01:45and sexual assault seriously and work with our police partners to fully investigate and prosecute wherever we can.
01:53I hope this outcome encourages anyone who may have experienced sexual assault to come forward and report what has happened,
02:00knowing they will be listened to and supported throughout the process.
