American R&B singer Chris Brown has avoided immediate imprisonment after receiving a suspended eight-month sentence for attacking a music producer with a glass tequila bottle at a London nightclub.
The sentence was handed down over an incident at Tape, a private members’ club in Mayfair, on February 19, 2023. Brown struck music producer Abraham “Abe” Diaw twice over the head with the bottle, leaving him requiring hospital treatment.
Brown’s vocal coach, rapper Omololu Akinlolu, who was also involved in the attack, received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Both men had pleaded guilty to affray and were ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.
During sentencing, Judge Tony Baumgartner described Brown’s use of the bottle as “plainly dangerous” and said the violence involved in the incident was “intense”.
The judge warned that repeatedly striking someone over the head with a glass bottle carried the risk of causing injuries far more serious than those ultimately suffered by the victim.
Brown’s eight-month sentence has been suspended for 12 months, meaning he will not serve the prison term unless the conditions of the suspension are breached, including by committing another offence during that period.
The case relates to an incident that took place more than three years before sentencing and has kept the singer in the spotlight over his legal troubles.
Brown, known for hits including “Run It!” and “With You”, has maintained a successful music career while facing legal controversies over the years.
