Katherine Ryan breaks silence on Russell Brand rape conviction and slams 'unprofessional' lawyer

Warning: This article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

Katherine Ryan has spoken out about being ‘in awe’ of Russell Brand's victims after the comedian was convicted on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault yesterday (5 November).

Brand faces a ‘significant custodial sentence’, according to the presiding Judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, with his sentencing set to take place at a hearing on Monday (9 November).

Ryan was among the first to speak out about Brand, previously referring to a ‘well known predator’ in an interview with Louis Theroux, though she did not initially name him.

It later came out that the comedian had repeatedly joked that he was a ‘sexual predator’ on an episode of Comedy Central’s Roast Battle in 2018. These did not make the cut but did lead to Brand being dropped by the show.

The pair were both judges on the 'Roast' panel show (Comedy Central)

Ryan did not publicly name him because she stated it was ‘not her story to tell’, as she had not been assaulted by him.

Now, though she has spoken out about his guilty verdict, stating she had not been watching the trial ‘very closely’ as she found it ‘extremely sad’.

Ryan hits out at Brand’s ‘unprofessional’ lawyer

Following yesterday's verdict, there was an altercation outside the court in which Brand's defence barrister, Ian Winter KC, confronted Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin.

Urwin had been among the leading journalists to first expose the allegations in a joint investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, which ultimately led to the criminal investigation.

Winter reportedly said to Urwin: “I hope you are pleased with yourself.” And when she told him that she was ‘pleased justice was done’, he reportedly replied: “Well, it wasn’t. You f***ed it… congratulations.”

Katherine Ryan spoke out about Brand's lawyer, who has received a lot of flack for his outburst (Jack Taylor/Getty Images for SXSW London)

Ryan spoke out about this incident on her podcast This and That, calling it an ‘unprofessional fit of childlike tantrum.’

She continued: “He swore at her, this man, just because he lost.

“That was so unprofessional, so inappropriate, so aggressive, really sickening.”

Ryan expresses hope for ‘peace and healing’ for Brand’s daughters and wife

Ryan also stated one of her big concerns in the reaction to the guilty verdict, saying: “A lot of the celebratory ‘aha’ has rubbed me the wrong way, I will never be the person who dances on graves.

“There’s grief alongside relief and it was proved in court that a terrible thing happened… This verdict came because women were heard.”

She continued, adding that she ‘worries about what happens next’, explaining: “He’s spent a long time cultivating this idea that the establishment have invented these claims against him, he’s martyred himself to a growing audience who really still think it’s the courageous survivors who are the villains in this story. I don’t know if you can podcast from jail, I hope not.

Russell Brand and his wife Laura (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

“I hope for peace and healing for his daughters and his wife, I certainly think this is a better situation for them. It will be painful for a while, it’s just pain.”

She gave tribute as well to the ‘brave witnesses’, specifically pointing to the fact that several men had spoken out against Brand on the stand.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.