Chris Brown received an eight-month suspended prison sentence Monday after attacking music producer Abraham Diaw with a glass tequila bottle at a London nightclub in February 2023.
Judge Tony Baumgartner suspended the sentence for 12 months, meaning Brown will avoid jail unless he commits another offense during that period. Brown's vocal coach, rapper Omololu Akinlolu, received a four-month suspended sentence for the same incident. Both men pleaded guilty to affray and were ordered to pay 1,500 pounds in costs.
The attack occurred at Tape, a private members' club in Mayfair, in the early hours of February 19, 2023. CCTV footage shown in court captured Brown striking Diaw four times with the bottle, connecting twice with his head and once with his shoulder. The entire assault lasted between 17 and 20 seconds. Akinlolu then punched Diaw in the head while Brown continued the attack as Diaw attempted to flee. The victim was also kicked while seated on the floor.
Diaw required hospital treatment and was discharged with pain relief and a head injury diagnosis. An MRI scan in early March revealed a high-grade ligament injury to his left knee.
Judge Baumgartner said the repeated use of a glass bottle "was plainly dangerous" and carried "the risk of delivering a more serious injury than was ultimately sustained." He noted that violence in a crowded nightclub "creates an obvious risk, not only to the person against whom it is directed, but also to others nearby." Brown had to be physically pulled away from the attack.
The judge rejected the notion that Brown's fame or professional standing entitled him to special treatment. However, Baumgartner cited Brown's guilty plea, compliance with bail conditions, and the impact imprisonment would have on his four children as mitigating factors. He assessed Brown's "risk of further offending as low."
Brown had initially faced more serious charges including assault and attempted grievous bodily harm, which were dropped after he and Akinlolu pleaded guilty to affray in July. The defense described the incident as lasting no more than 20 seconds and said Brown has lived a law-abiding life since his last conviction in 2013.