Disgraced comedian Russell Brand was secretly transferred to HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire on Friday, just days after beginning a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault.
The 51-year-old was moved out of HMP Wandsworth to the Category C facility, The Independent reported. Authorities transported him amid concerns for his safety and because he was deemed a low escape risk.
Brand was sentenced on Monday afternoon at Southwark Crown Court after jurors unanimously convicted him of offenses against four women between 2004 and 2009. He is expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before release on licence and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.
His new confines at HMP Littlehey consist of a single-person cell on the prison’s E Wing, Irish Mirror reported. The facility houses male sex offenders and offers extra-curricular activities including yoga, a choir, indoor bowls, and an inter-wing football league.
Prison Transfer and Facility Conditions
Sources close to the facility indicated that Brand had not yet made contact with any of the roughly 1,200 other inmates housed at the Cambridgeshire prison. An insider told The Sun that the inmate requested extra blankets on his first night and has extra officers assigned to look after him.
Before the transfer, Brand spent his initial days on remand at HMP Wandsworth in South West London. Sources at the South London facility described an initial level of arrogance, with one observer stating he “came floating in almost as though he was the Messiah.”
Another source told the Daily Mail that the convicted rapist quickly dropped the facade, noting that he looked “incredibly pale, almost as though he was going to be sick.”
Authorities had previously considered transferring him to HMP Wakefield, a high-security facility nicknamed “Monster Mansion.” That option was discarded due to safety concerns following the murder of convicted child sex offender Ian Watkins by fellow inmates at Wakefield last year.
| Facility | Category | Location | Notable Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMP Wandsworth | Category B | South West London | Initial remand facility; high population density. |
| HMP Littlehey | Category C | Cambridgeshire | Houses male sex offenders; offers yoga, choir, and indoor bowls. |
| HMP Wakefield | Maximum Security | West Yorkshire | Deemed too dangerous for Brand due to previous inmate violence. |
Additional Allegations Emerge
The prison transfer coincides with a wave of additional accusations against the comedian. As reported by Extra.ie, another eight women have come forward to accuse Brand of sexual crimes since his conviction.
The new claims, published as part of an investigation by The Times and the Sunday Times, could not be reported during the criminal trial to avoid prejudicing legal proceedings. The allegations include claims from a woman who stated Brand had sex with her without consent in the late 2000s, and another who alleged he continued an assault in 2007 despite her stating it was painful and telling him to stop.
