Chris Brown walked out of Southwark Crown Court a free man on Monday after a judge sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, for the tequila bottle attack on music producer Abraham Diaw at a London nightclub in February 2023.
The 37-year-old R&B star had arrived at the court in the morning facing up to three years in prison on the affray charge he pleaded guilty to in July. Instead, Judge Tony Baumgartner suspended the sentence, which means Brown will serve no time behind bars as long as he stays out of trouble for the next year. His vocal coach and co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, 40, who joined the attack, was sentenced to four months in prison, also suspended for 12 months, and both men were ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.
The court was shown CCTV footage of the attack, which happened at about 3 a.m. on February 19, 2023, at the Tape private members' club in Mayfair. Heidi Stonecliffe KC, prosecuting, told the court Brown used a "heavy square-shaped tequila bottle" and hit Mr Diaw twice over the left-hand side of his head. The footage showed Brown striking Diaw four times with the bottle in all, connecting twice with his head and once with his shoulder, and raining down further blows as Diaw turned away. Akinlolu then grabbed Diaw in a "bear hug" and punched him, Diaw fell to the ground, and he was kicked while seated on the floor. The whole incident lasted about 20 seconds, and Brown had to be physically pulled away.
Diaw was taken to St Mary's Hospital in London and discharged with pain relief and a diagnosis of head injury and a superficial injury to his knee. An MRI scan taken in early March showed a high-grade injury to a ligament on the inner side of his left knee.
Judge Baumgartner said Brown had "the leading role in the joint crime" and told him directly that his fame bought him nothing in that courtroom: "Your fame, commercial success and professional standing do not entitle you to special treatment. The law applies equally to everyone." The judge said that while the violence lasted only a short period, it was "nevertheless serious violence by two people in a crowded nightclub," and that Brown's previous convictions for violence in 2009 and 2013 counted against him, though their weight had diminished over time.
"The repeated use of a glass bottle in that way, especially aimed at the head, was plainly dangerous, it carried the risk of delivering a more serious injury than was ultimately sustained."
Defending Brown, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC said the singer "offers a profound apology" to everyone who was at the club that night. "This is an ugly and unattractive incident. It is, however, an incident which was very short-lived, lasting something more than 17 seconds but no more than 20," she said, arguing there had been a "relatively low level of force" and disputing how significant the injuries were. She also told the court that Diaw, the victim, was "not supportive of the prosecution" and had in fact withdrawn his support some time after the incident, and that Brown had felt Diaw presented "some sort of threat." Diaw did not appear in court.
Brown, wearing a black leather jacket, sat in the dock looking at the floor for much of the hearing. When the judge finished his sentencing remarks, Brown and Akinlolu stood up, faced one another and clasped hands before walking out of the glass dock. There were loud cheers outside the court as Brown left the building, and he appeared to stop to sign an autograph and blow a kiss to a fan.
In return for the guilty pleas to affray, prosecutors dropped the more serious charges both men had faced: assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. Brown had been arrested in May 2025 at a hotel in Manchester when he returned to Britain for the first time since the attack, and he was freed only after putting up a £5 million security fee as part of his bail, which allowed him to continue his world tour as long as he surrendered his passport on arrival in each country.
Claire Campbell, senior crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said after the hearing: "This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim's head twice. This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly, with the police and partners across the criminal justice system, to pursue cases like this, and prove that no one is above the law."
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah of the Metropolitan Police said: "This was an inexcusable attack that put a man in hospital. It has taken several years to secure this result for the victim and the wider public. Despite the passage of time and the fact the suspects were no longer in the UK, we were determined that those responsible should face justice. Violence will not be accepted on the streets of London. Regardless of an individual's profile or status, we will pursue those responsible and work tirelessly to bring them before the courts."