Chris Brown given suspended eight-month sentence over London nightclub attack

Chris Brown has been given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, over an attack on a music producer at a London nightclub in 2023. The US singer will not go to prison unless he commits another offence during the suspension period.

Brown pleaded guilty to affray over the attack on Abraham Diaw at Tape, a private members’ club in Mayfair, in the early hours of 19 February 2023. His vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, who also pleaded guilty, received a four-month sentence suspended for 12 months. Both men were ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.

Southwark Crown Court heard that Brown hit Diaw twice on the head with a glass tequila bottle. CCTV footage showed Brown striking him four times with the bottle, twice on the head, before hitting his shoulder. Akinlolu then punched Diaw, prosecutors said.

Judge Tony Baumgartner called the bottle attack “plainly dangerous” and said the violence was serious. He said Brown’s fame and professional standing did not entitle him to special treatment, while noting his guilty plea and compliance with bail conditions. The judge also said Brown’s risk of further offending was low.

Brown had been due to face trial on more serious charges, including assault and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, which he denied. Those charges were later dropped; his conviction was for affray.

Diaw was taken to hospital after the attack. The court heard that an MRI scan showed a high-grade injury to a ligament in his left knee. Brown’s defence disputed the seriousness of the injuries, and the court heard Diaw was not supportive of the prosecution.

The ruling follows Brown’s suspended sentence at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, 26 October. Akinlolu received the shorter sentence because of his lesser role and because he did not use a weapon.