Deep Dive: Inside Harvey Weinstein's courtroom conviction and ambulance departure.

On Monday in New York, 67-year-old Harvey Weinstein became a convicted rapist.

As the jury reached their verdict after five days of deliberation, the number of security guards on Level 15 of the Manhattan courthouse doubled.

According to 9News’ Alexis Daish, about four security guards stood behind Weinstein as he sat hunched over directly in front of the judge.

WATCH: Here’s some of the coverage after the verdict. Post continues after video.

After being found guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree and rape in the third degree, the disgraced movie producer was escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs.

“During those moments, silence fell over the room. I think everyone sitting inside knew they were witnessing a moment in history,” said Daish, who was inside the courtroom watching it all unfold.

Victims’ lawyer Gloria Allred says this is significant – “juries are believing women” – and her message to Harvey Weinstein himself: “See you on March 11”.@9NewsAUS @TheTodayShow pic.twitter.com/DzADyjE3Be

— Alexis Daish (@LexiDaish) February 24, 2020

I too have been in court when a long awaited conviction is delivered.

There’s a tense silence, and the whole room has one eye on the judge and the other on the accused as they wait to see how they will react to news that could entirely alter the course of their lives.

Everyone in that room is familiar with the others around them. They’ve usually sat in similar spots as they’ve listened to testimony and lawyers and judges for days, weeks – sometimes months.

There’s a sense that everyone around you is holding their breath, not wanting to miss the words they’ve been eagerly anticipating.

According to Weinstein’s lawyer, when the 67-year-old’s guilty verdict was read out, his reaction was one of stunned shock.

Harvey Weinstein court sketch from this morning.
Credit: Christine Cornell pic.twitter.com/StHc3cuAk7

— Christina Ginn (@NBChristinaGinn) February 24, 2020

“The words he said over and over again to me is, ‘I’m innocent, I’m innocent, I’m innocent. How could this happen in America?'” Arthur Aidala told Variety, adding that he kind of just “caught his breath” and was very stoic and strong.

The courtroom artist who captured the moment in a sketch told Yahoo Entertainment the movie mogul looked “withered” as he digested his reality.

After being led from the courtroom, Weinstein was supposed to be transported to his new home on Rikers Island, a sprawling prison complex which has a reputation for being particularly violent and brutal.

“Investigations by reporters and government watchdogs have identified problems with how the jail treats the mentally ill, juveniles and anyone who falls sick,” reports The Guardian.

But CNN reports an ambulance carrying the convicted rapist was diverted from Rikers to Bellevue hospital after Weinstein's conviction was handed down, which is where he remains right now - in the hospital's prison ward.

His lawyer says the convicted rapist was having heart palpitations due to his high blood pressure.

In court, his defence team explained that "he is under the care of five doctors currently. He's dealing with the remnants of his back operation which was not successful. He takes a list of different medicines. Judge, he's currently receiving shots in his eyes so he does not go blind."

During the trial Weinstein used a walker which garnered speculation he was faking his injury to gain sympathy and appear non-threatening.

But CNN reports it was Weinstein's legal team that convinced him to use the walker for medical reasons.

His legal team is already busy planning his appeal, while news of the verdict is still being digested.

"The prejudices - the prejudice against him is just insurmountable to get a fair and impartial jury," said Aidala outside court, as reported by NPR.

As for the jurors from the highly publicised trial, Page Six says they left grim-faced and heads-down, with jury foreman Bernard Cody telling the New York Times, "The whole thing was long, long. I've been away from my family a long time. It was stressful."

What happened inside that courtroom has immeasurable significance to not just the six woman who bravely testified, or the more than 90 women who have accused Weinstein of a crime against them, but women everywhere - despite the disappointment that three of the five charges were dropped.

The crimes he was convicted for relate to the sexual assault of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and the rape of aspiring actor Jessica Mann in 2013.

Yesterday the women known as the "silence breakers" on Weinstein, celebrated the news.

And as the world dissects every second of yesterday's conviction, Weinstein will be coming to terms with a new normal.

He maintains his innocence, but as actress Rose McGowan told the "silence breakers" press conference: "For once he won’t be sitting comfortably. For once he will know what it is like to have power wrapped around his neck."

Weinstein's world has become very small, very quickly.

One that is lived in prison.

Feature image: Getty.

This article originally appeared in Gemma Bath's weekly news deep dive email. You can subscribe right here.