By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to media reports on Monday a 51-year-old British comedian Russell Brand has been handed a prison sentence of 10 years and 6 months after being convicted of raping a fan and sexually assaulted three other women during the peak of his entertainment career.

The 4 week trial at Southwark Crown Court also heard victim impact statements from the women, who described the lasting emotional and psychological impact of the assaults.

According to the reports, Brand was found guilty following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.

The offences involved four women and took place between 2004 and 2009.

He was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

“The total sentence is one of ten years, six months,” said Judge Justice Bennathan at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, media reported.

The jury found Brand guilty on four of the seven charges brought against him. These included raping a woman he met at one of his comedy shows in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women in separate incidents between 2004 and 2009.

The alleged assaults took place at different locations, including a bar, a radio station and a television studio. Six women gave evidence during the trial, which attracted considerable media attention.

The court acquitted him of two additional rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault. Brand denied all the charges and maintained that he had never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity.

The Metropolitan Police said Brand was also being investigated in connection with two additional rape allegations after his conviction.

One of the women addressed the court through a victim impact statement before the sentence was announced.

The prosecution read out a statement from the woman whom Brand was convicted of raping at his home in 2009.

She said, “It’s something I carry with me every day and it often feels never-ending.” Described the lasting emotional impact.

She also said the incident had affected her confidence and ability to trust herself. “I doubt my ability to make good decisions and no longer trust my instinct in the way I did,” she said.

The woman further said Brand’s celebrity status had made her question whether anyone would believe her if she spoke about the incident.

Another complainant, who was sexually assaulted at a bar in 2004 after Brand grabbed her breasts, spoke about the confusion she had experienced over the years.

She said the uncertainty surrounding what she “should” or “could” do had remained with her for more than two decades.

He woman gave her statement in person from behind a curtain in the courtroom, recalled feeling “physically sick” when she saw Brand receiving media attention as his career continued to grow.

A third woman, whom Brand was found guilty of sexually assaulting in 2005, said the incident continued to affect her long after it happened.

According to her statement, the experience had “a lasting impact on her life”.

She added that “hearing his voice on television or seeing his image has made me jump” over the years.

The fourth complainant, who was sexually assaulted while working alongside Brand at television studio, also described the impact of the incident.

She told the court that the experience had deeply affected her and made her feel that her workplace was no longer a safe environment.

The identities of all the women who made complaints against Brand have been withheld from the public.