Report: Convicted rapist Russell Brand is cowering in fear as inmates taunt him with vulgar chant

Reported taunts inside Wandsworth

The Daily Mail reported that hundreds of prisoners at HMP Wandsworth are allegedly chanting at Brand. The report described him as “cowering in fear.” The reported chant uses a vulgar insult and calls Brand a “nonce,” a British slang term for a rapist, child molester or sexual offender. It also uses “lairy,” meaning loud and excitable behavior, according to the Cambridge English Dictionary.

Overcrowding and poor conditions

The Howard League for Penal Reform recorded 1,457 inmates at Wandsworth, against certified normal accommodation for 894. That is 163% of normal capacity. A 2024 report by Wandsworth’s Independent Monitoring Board described living conditions as “inhumane.” It said cramped single-occupancy cells were routinely shared by two inmates, sometimes with no full change of clothing for two or three weeks.

The report also cited damp, unhygienic showers, poor ventilation, intermittent heating and floors that allowed vermin to enter. Prisoners could be locked in cells for up to 22 hours a day, sometimes without outdoor exercise because of staff shortages.

Recorded violence and support

During the 2023-24 reporting period, the prison recorded 442 assaults by inmates on other inmates and 518 assaults on staff. There were 998 self-harm incidents involving 302 men, and 10 deaths, six described as “apparently self-inflicted.” Inmates can take part in educational and vocational training, as well as activities including yoga, mindfulness, embroidery and choir. Family contact is available through monthly family days, homework clubs, video and phone calls, and emails.

Brand’s conviction and first night

Brand was convicted on Thursday of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations during the trial, which followed an investigation launched after several women came forward.

The Sun reported that Brand was “petrified” on his first night at Wandsworth, after a strip search and receiving toiletries and food. He was also allowed a three-minute call with his wife, Laura. A UK legal expert told Page Six that Brand could face “eight or nine years” in prison for the crimes he was found guilty of.