Chris Brown has received a suspended sentence after attacking music producer Abraham “Abe” Diaw with a tequila bottle at a London nightclub. The R&B singer will avoid immediate imprisonment, but could be jailed if he commits another offence during the next 12 months.

At Southwark Crown Court, Brown was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for one year. His vocal coach, rapper Omololu Akinlolu, received a four-month term, also suspended for 12 months, after joining the attack. Both men were ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.

Brown and Akinlolu pleaded guilty to affray in July. The offence covers using or threatening unlawful violence in a way that would cause another person to fear for their safety.

What happened inside Tape nightclub?

The attack took place at the private members’ club Tape in Mayfair during the early hours of 19 February 2023. Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC said Brown approached Diaw on the dance floor at about 03:00 and struck him with a heavy, square-shaped tequila bottle.

Three pieces of CCTV footage showed the incident unfolding inside the small, crowded venue. Brown could be seen hitting Diaw four times with the bottle, including twice to the head and once to the shoulder. Akinlolu then punched Diaw in the head.

The Crown Prosecution Service previously said the pair continued attacking Diaw as he tried to escape through the club. He was also kicked while sitting defenceless on the floor.

The violence lasted between 17 and 20 seconds. Its short duration did not make it minor, Judge Tony Baumgartner said, particularly because Brown had to be physically pulled away.

“This was not planned violence,” the judge said. “It was nevertheless serious violence by two people in a crowded nightclub.”

He added that striking someone repeatedly with a glass bottle, particularly around the head, was “plainly dangerous” and risked causing far more serious injuries.

What injuries did Abraham Diaw suffer?

Diaw was taken to St Mary’s Hospital after the attack. He was discharged with pain relief and diagnoses of a head injury and a superficial knee injury.

An MRI scan in early March later identified a high-grade injury to a ligament on the inner side of his left knee, the court heard.

Brown’s barrister, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC, disputed the seriousness of the injuries and argued that the singer had used a “relatively low level of force”. She noted that Diaw suffered no fractures or broken skin. The court was also told that Diaw later withdrew his support for the prosecution.

Calling the incident “ugly and unattractive”, Bennett-Jenkins said Brown deeply regretted what happened and apologised to everyone who was inside the club at the time.

Akinlolu’s barrister, Laurie-Anne Power KC, said her client initially believed Brown, whom he regarded as a brother, was under attack. She accepted that his involvement quickly developed into the conduct covered by his guilty plea.

Why was the prison term suspended?

Judge Baumgartner said Brown’s conduct was “particularly dangerous” and that violence inside a packed nightclub created a clear risk to Diaw and nearby customers.

The judge also made clear that Brown’s celebrity status was not a discount code for the criminal courts. His fame, professional standing and commercial success, he said, “do not entitle you to special treatment. The law applies equally to everyone.”

However, the court considered several factors in Brown’s favour:

  • His guilty plea
  • His compliance with bail conditions
  • The effect imprisonment would have on his four children
  • His conduct since his last conviction in 2013
  • The assessment that his risk of further offending was low

The defence described Brown as a dedicated and loving father who remained present in his children’s lives. It also characterised the nightclub violence as a brief and deeply regretted incident.

Brown had originally been due to stand trial on more serious allegations of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon. He denied those charges, which prosecutors later dropped following the affray pleas.

After the judge finished his sentencing remarks, Brown and Akinlolu stood, faced each other and clasped hands before leaving the glass dock. Supporters cheered outside the court, where Brown appeared to stop and sign an autograph.

Brown later posted an Instagram Story from inside a car, turning towards the camera and giving a thumbs-up.