Brand Cowering in Fear in Prison as Inmates Chant, Source Says
Comedian Russell Brand is said to be cowering in fear at Wandsworth Prison in London after hundreds of inmates reportedly shouted a chant about his crimes. He is due to be sentenced on Monday after a guilty verdict at Southwark Crown Court.
Russell Brand is said to be "cowering in fear" in prison after being heckled by "hundreds" of prisoners at Wandsworth Prison in London. The claim comes from an unnamed source, and the comedian is due to be sentenced on Monday.
Brand, 51, was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault after a trial at Southwark Crown Court in London. The verdict came on Thursday. The court denied him bail ahead of sentencing.
Chanting on the wing
Fellow inmates have reportedly created a foul-mouthed chant about his crimes. According to the source, prisoners have repeated it again and again.
"Weekends at Wandsworth can be boring as the prison is so understaffed," the source said. That means very little time out of cells, with no outside exercise in the yard. Dinner is served at 4.30pm, and prisoners go back to their cells until 8am the next morning.
"They have to get their amusement somewhere, so they've made Brand the object, with hundreds of prisoners shouting the chant," the source said.
A man who rarely leaves his cell
The heckling has left Brand "like a shadow", according to the source. He rarely leaves his cell, the source said, and only goes out to collect food at mealtimes before returning.
"So far it's only been verbal abuse," the source said. The source added that this might not last, because "any celebrity is a high-end target".
Conditions on the vulnerable persons' wing
Brand has reportedly been moved to the vulnerable persons' wing. The insider described the conditions as basic, with a small metal basin and a toilet in the cell.
The only heating is a pipe that runs the length of the building and through each cell. Prisoners use it to dry towels, T-shirts and socks. There is no regular laundry collection, so washing is "a luxury as and when", the insider said.
Brand would reportedly have to wash his belongings in his sink if he wanted a change of clothes. He would then dry his socks and underwear on the pipe.
The Get Him to the Greek actor was reportedly not expecting the verdict and had not prepared for a possible prison term. He "did not even take a bag with him to prison, so he has no belongings", the source said.
The prison's assistant governor met Brand shortly after he arrived. He was warned to "expect the rough with the smooth". Brand has also prayed with the facility's chaplain.
Brand returns to Southwark Crown Court on Monday for sentencing.
