American singer Chris Brown has been given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, over an attack on music producer Abe Diaw at a London nightclub in February 2023.
According to BBC News live updates, Brown, 37, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to affray in July.
AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali
His co-defendant and vocal coach, 40-year-old Omololu Akinlolu, was also given a suspended sentence of four months, suspended for 12 months.
Delivering his sentencing remarks, Judge Tony Baumgartner said Brown played a “leading role in this joint offending” and noted that he had used a bottle as a weapon.
The judge said Brown approached Diaw in the VIP area of Tape nightclub in the early hours of February 19, 2023, and struck him twice on the head with a tequila bottle before hitting him on the shoulder and attempting another strike.
“The repeated use of a glass bottle in that way… was plainly dangerous,” the judge said, adding that it “carried the risk of causing significantly more serious injury than was ultimately sustained”.
Baumgartner said the incident was “short” but the violence was “intense”, although it was not planned.
Diaw required hospital treatment after the incident. The judge said he suffered a head injury or head trauma, muscular-skeletal problems, tenderness around the cervical spine and abdomen, and reduced movement in his left knee.
The judge said Brown’s offending was more serious than that of Akinlolu because he initiated the physical violence.
He also noted that Brown had “two previous convictions involving violence”, dating to 2009 and 2013, but said they were “now old”.
Other factors considered during sentencing included Brown’s compliance with bail conditions, his status as a father of four, his “stable employment” and “charitable activities”.
However, the judge emphasised that Brown was not entitled to special treatment because of his “fame, commercial success, and professional standing”.
He added that Brown’s pre-sentence report assessed his risk of further offending as “low”.
On Akinlolu, the judge said his culpability was lower than Brown’s, noting that the prosecution accepted he neither possessed nor used a bottle.
Akinlolu’s violence consisted of punches and a kick directed at Diaw while he was on the ground. The judge said Akinlolu did not initiate the violence but joined after it had begun, adding that his role was “significant”.
Earlier, Brown’s defence lawyer, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC, described the incident as “an ugly and unattractive incident”.
She said: “It is, however, an incident which was very short-lived, lasting something more than 17 seconds but no more than 20.
“It is something which undoubtedly would have caused distress to those who are present and for which Mr Brown… offers a profound apology to all those present.”
Brown had been due to face trial on more serious charges, including assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon, which he denied. Those charges were subsequently dropped after his guilty plea to affray.
Akinlolu also pleaded guilty to affray, while assault and attempted grievous bodily harm charges against him were dropped.
BBC reported that CCTV footage shown in court captured the attack, which lasted no more than 20 seconds.
The footage showed Brown hitting Diaw four times with a tequila bottle, including twice on the head.
According to BBC affray is an offence under the Public Order Act involving the use or threat of unlawful violence that causes another person to fear for their personal safety.
It carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a fine or both.