Russell Brand has ‘already received abuse’ from other prisoners in jail

Fellow inmates are already making prison life difficult for convicted rapist Russell Brand, it’s been claimed.

On Monday, Brand was sent down for 10 years and six months, a sentence he’ll serve approximately seven years of before serving the rest on licence.

The former comedian and actor, 51, was found guilty on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault committed between 2004 and 2009, with a further eight women since coming forward to accuse him of sexual abuse and predatory behaviour.

Brand always denied any wrongdoing, insisting that his sexual relationships were ‘consensual’.

However, when sentencing him at Southwark Crown Court, Mr Justice Bennathan slammed the disgraced star’s ‘staggering arrogance’ and said his status ‘protected him’ from repercussions during his celebrity heyday.

And it appears Brand also started his imprisonment with such ‘arrogance’, as it’s been reported that, when he arrived at HMP Wandsworth, he ‘came floating in almost as though he was the Messiah’.

A prison source told the Daily Mail that there was ‘this air of superiority about him’, but it was ‘immediately’ clear he was putting on ‘an act’.

‘He was incredibly pale, almost as though he was going to be sick,’ the source said.

‘Whatever confidence he was trying to project, you could see the fear beneath it.’

Matters only worsened for Brand when he was ‘marched into his cell’, looking ‘horrified’ by his new lodgings.

‘It was as though the reality of what had happened had finally sunk in,’ said the informant, claiming Brand also asked whether he could have privacy when using the toilet, illustrating the sharp switch-up from the lifestyle he’s used to.

Other prisoners have given Brand anything but a warm welcome, as he’s thought to have ‘already received abuse’, such as an individual shouting at him, ‘You’re not a superstar in here, Brand. You’re just another nonce.’

It’s thought that the Get Him to the Greek star has been advised to cut his long, unkempt hair and trim his beard so he’s less ‘conspicuous’.

Currently, he’s instantly recognisable to the other inmates and arguably the most notable prisoner in the country, so he’s probably in ‘the worst position’ possible to be starting a long stint behind bars.

As for how the sex offender will get by, he’s been warned to ‘be careful’ of how he behaves, as belittling anyone or trying to be ‘too clever’ could result in a battering.

Although keeping his head down won’t necessarily make life easier, as the Mail’s prison source has claimed Brand ‘could simply get a beating’ for being who he is.

‘His fame makes him a target, and there will be prisoners who would love nothing more than to make a name for themselves by attacking him.’

Ultimately, it’s believed staff have told him that ‘arrogance’ won’t wash in jail, and it’s been realised early on that he ‘doesn’t possess the skills needed to survive in that environment’.

It’s thought that Brand’s wife, Laura, whom he wed in 2017, has already visited him.

The 39-year-old, who has three children with him – aged 10, eight, and three – stood by Brand throughout his trial and attended his sentencing. She’s expected to remain in the UK, rather than jetting back to the States.

HM Prison Wandsworth is a Category B men’s prison in South West London and one of the largest in the UK, with over 1,500 detainees.

A Category B prison is a closed facility for those who do not require maximum security conditions (Category A), but for whom escape still needs to be made very difficult.

But it may not be where Brand serves the full length of his sentence, as he is reportedly set for a move up north within the next few ‘days or weeks’.

Brand will be transported to HMP Wakefield, which is where convicted paedophile and Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins was murdered when he was stabbed in his cell in May.

It’s a Category A jail in West Yorkshire, where staff are ‘expecting him’ following a risk assessment.

Sources told The Sun that the prison will be better equipped to ensure his protection, and it’s ‘deemed a safer place’ on the whole for Brand.

Still, though, it’s unlikely he’ll have a quiet life for the foreseeable.