This is a court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Russell Brand in the dock at Southwark Crown Court, in London, on Nov. 5. Elizabeth Cook/PA/AP hide caption

Elizabeth Cook/PA/AP

Russell Brand, the raunchy, irreverent British comedian who became a celebrity darling in the early 2000s, has been sentenced to over 10 years in prison after being found guilty on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

"The total sentence is one of ten years, six months," said Judge Justice Bennathan on handing down the sentence at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday.

Brand, 51, was a career chameleon who went from stand-up comic and MTV host to a political analyst esteemed by Britain's left, only to become a conspiracy theorist and Christian convert beloved by the U.S.…