Chris Brown Avoids Jail With Suspended Sentence for London Nightclub Bottle Attack

US R&B singer Chris Brown has escaped immediate imprisonment after a London court sentenced him over an attack in which he struck a man with a glass tequila bottle. He was given an eight-month prison term, suspended for 12 months.

The assault took place in the early hours of 19 February 2023 at Tape, a private members' club in Mayfair. Brown's vocal coach, the rapper Omololu Akinlolu, joined in the violence and received a four-month term, also suspended for 12 months. Both men had pleaded guilty to affray and were ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.

Under the terms of the suspension, Brown will only be jailed if he commits another offence during the 12-month period. Judge Tony Baumgartner said that hitting the victim over the head twice with a glass bottle "was plainly dangerous" and that the violence was "intense". He added that the conduct carried the risk of a more serious injury than the one ultimately sustained.

The court was shown CCTV footage from inside the club. It showed Brown striking music producer Abraham 'Abe' Diaw four times with the bottle, twice to the head and then on the shoulder. The attack lasted no more than 20 seconds in a very small and packed venue. Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC described the weapon as a "heavy square-shaped tequila bottle" and said Brown approached Diaw at around 03:00.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Akinlolu then punched Diaw in the head, and that the pair continued the assault as the victim tried to flee through the club. It said Diaw was kicked while sitting defenceless on the floor. Judge Baumgartner said the violence was not planned but was serious, and that Brown had to be "physically pulled away".

Diaw was taken to St Mary's Hospital and discharged with pain relief and a diagnosis of head injury and a superficial knee injury. An MRI scan in early March showed a "high grade injury to a ligament on the inner side of the left knee", the court heard. The defence argued there was a relatively low level of force, with no fractures or broken skin. The court also heard Diaw was "not supportive of the prosecution" and withdrew his support some time after the incident.

The judge said Brown's fame and success "do not entitle you to special treatment" and that the law applies equally to everyone. He nonetheless took into account the guilty plea, Brown's compliance with bail conditions and the effect a custodial sentence would have on his children, and said the risk of further offending was low.

Defence lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC called it "an ugly and unattractive incident" and said Brown offered a "profound apology" to everyone present. She described him as a dedicated father of four who has lived a law-abiding life since his last conviction in 2013. Akinlolu's lawyer, Laurie-Anne Power KC, said he genuinely believed Brown was under attack when he joined in.

Brown and Akinlolu pleaded guilty to affray at Southwark Crown Court in July. Brown had been due to stand trial on more serious charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon, which he denied and which were later dropped.

After sentencing, the two men clasped hands before leaving the dock. Loud cheers greeted Brown outside court, where he appeared to stop to sign an autograph, and he later posted a thumbs-up video from his car on Instagram. Brown, 37, is regarded as one of R&B's biggest stars, with hits including Run It, Forever and Don't Wake Me Up.