Chris Brown given suspended sentence over bottle attack at London club

The R&B singer Chris Brown has been given a suspended sentence after striking a man twice in the head with a tequila bottle in a central London club.

Brown, 37, admitted affray earlier this year after attacking a former friend with a “heavy” tequila bottle on the dancefloor at the Tape private members’ club in Mayfair in February 2023.

Brown was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, at Southwark crown court on Monday. His vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu, 40, who joined the attack, was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and both men were ordered to pay £1,500 costs.

In front of a packed public gallery, the singer, wearing a black leather jacket, sat looking at the floor in the dock for much of the hearing.

Judge Baumgartner called the attack “plainly dangerous” and warned that “commercial success does not attract preferential treatment” in court. In sentencing, he said: “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.”

CCTV footage was shown in which Brown strikes Abraham Diaw four times with the bottle, connecting twice with his head and then hitting his shoulder.

Heidi Stonecliffe KC, prosecuting, told the court Brown used a “heavy square shaped tequila bottle” to “hit Mr Diaw twice over the left-hand side of his head”. He rained down “further blows” as Diaw turned away, the court heard.

Stonecliffe said Akinlolu then grabbed Diaw in a “bear hug”. She said: “Mr Diaw falls to the ground and Mr Brown is also seen throwing punches.”

In another clip, Brown, from California, could be seen being pulled away from the victim. The incident took place at about 3am and lasted about 20 seconds, the court heard.