U.S. singer Chris Brown was handed an eight‑month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after striking music producer Abraham ‘Abe’ Diaw twice in the head with a glass tequila bottle at the private members’ club Tape in Mayfair on 19 February 2023.
Brown’s vocal coach and fellow rapper Omololu Akinlolu, who joined the assault, received a four‑month sentence, also suspended for 12 months. Both men pleaded guilty to affray and were ordered to pay £1,500 in court costs.
Judge Tony Baumgartner described the use of the bottle as “plainly dangerous” and noted that the violence was “intense.” He added that the repeated use of a glass bottle aimed at the head carried the risk of more serious injury, and that the attack was “particularly dangerous.”
The court heard CCTV footage showing Brown striking Diaw four times with the bottle, twice to the head, before Akinlolu punched the victim. Diaw was taken to St Mary’s Hospital, where he received pain relief and treatment for a head injury and a ligament injury in the left knee.
Brown’s defence highlighted his role as a father of four and his “good and law‑abiding life” since 2013, while his lawyer Laurie‑Anne Power KC noted that Brown believed Akinlolu was under attack when he joined the assault. The judge acknowledged Brown’s guilty plea, compliance with bail conditions and the impact a custodial sentence would have on his children, stating his risk of further offending is low.
Brown left court to cheers, signing an autograph before posting a thumbs‑up video on Instagram. The sentence means he will not serve time unless he commits another offence during the 12‑month suspension period.
