Crimeupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapChris Brown Gets Eight-Month Suspended Prison Sentence for Tape Nightclub Attack in London
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Eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, imposed for London nightclub affray. Guilty plea to affray for hitting a music producer with a tequila bottle.
16 outlets told this the same way.
Suspended Sentence in London
London’s Southwark Crown Court sentenced Chris Brown to eight months in prison for an attack at the Mayfair nightclub Tape, but the court suspended the term for 12 months so Brown would not go to prison immediately.
Judge Tony Baumgartner said, “the repeated use of a glass bottle in that way was plainly dangerous,” and he added that it “carried the risk of causing significantly more serious injury than was ultimately sustained.”
The court heard the offense related to an attack on music producer Abe Diaw at Tape on Feb. 19, 2023, and prosecutors said Brown struck Diaw with a tequila bottle and continued to punch and kick him.
The court also sentenced Brown’s vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months, after Akinlolu pleaded guilty to affray.
The sentencing followed Brown’s guilty plea to affray in July at Southwark Crown Court, after prosecutors dropped more serious charges including assault and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
Video, Prosecutors, and Apology
CCTV footage shown in court depicted Brown hitting Diaw “four times with the bottle, twice to the head,” and prosecutors said Brown approached Diaw from the dance floor at about 3 a.m. before striking him.
Claire Campbell, a senior crown prosecutor, described the nightclub incident as “a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub,” and she said the Crown Prosecution Service would continue pursuing cases involving violence.
Sallie Bennett-Jenkins told the court that this was an “ugly and unattractive incident” and that Brown “offers a profound apology to all those present” for the “distress” caused by the incident.
The court heard that Diaw was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with head and knee injuries, and the scan showed no abnormality before Diaw was discharged with crutches and pain relief.
The court also heard that Diaw was not in court for sentencing and had not supported the prosecution, withdrawing support at one point.
Bail, Arrest, and Conditions
London police arrested Brown in May 2025 by the Metropolitan Police hours after he touched down in Manchester for a concert, and he spent a week in custody before being released on bail.
“‘This was an inexcusable attack that put a man in hospital,’ said the Met’s Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah.”
The court set bail conditions that included a £5 million security fee and surrendering his passport on arrival in each country while on his world tour.
People’s account of the case said the Met’s Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah called the attack “an inexcusable attack that put a man in hospital,” and she said the investigation took several years to secure the result.
The sentencing also required Brown to pay a £1,500 surcharge toward the prosecution’s legal costs, and the court ordered the same surcharge for Akinlolu.
The suspended sentence meant Brown would avoid prison unless he committed another offense during the 12-month suspension period, and the R&B tour was due to resume on Nov. 5 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.