U shering his wife out of a blacked out Mercedes into a throng of photographers on the first day of hearings at London’s Southwark Crown Court last month, the dubious basis of Russell Brand ’s defence should have been obvious.

Wearing a lemon-yellow suit and a large pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses, the waiting media pack were so unfamiliar with Laura Brand that, at first, no one was certain who she was. But it soon emerged that the 39-year-old, with whom he shares three young children, was the only witness prepared to stand up in court to fight back against the multiple rape and sexual assault allegations at her husband’s doorstep.

On Thursday, Ms Brand left court alone as her husband was remanded in custody after a jury panel of eight men and four women took less than nine hours to convict the 51-year-old of four counts against four women.

Before the verdicts were delivered, the comedian, 51, told his wife “I love you” from inside the glass-panelled dock, where the door – which had previously been left…