Russell Brand jailed for 10 years for rape, assault

Actor and comedian Russell Brand was sentenced in a London courtroom Monday to 10 and a half years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.

Calling Brand a sexual predator, the judge denounced his "casual and arrogant disregard" for any woman who said no to him and castigated him for the series of lies he told in testimony, denying assaults that dated back to 2004. He had maintained his innocence.

But a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of attacking four of six accusers. He was cleared of two counts of rape, and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show, and appearing in Hollywood films.