Chris Brown avoided prison time on Monday (Oct. 26) for beating a music producer with a tequila bottle at a London nightclub three years ago. The 37-year-old was given an eight-month sentence, suspended for a year.
RELATED: Usher And Chris Brown Reportedly Cancel Several Dates Of ‘The R&B Tour’ Amid Breezy’s London Court Appearance
Chris Brown Could’ve Spent Nearly A Year In Prison
Breezy had faced up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to a count of affray in July for the attack on the dance floor of Tape. The establishment is a private club in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in February 2023. In return for Chris Brown’s guilty plea, prosecutors dropped charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and having an offensive weapon, a bottle.
“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,” Judge Tony Baumgartner said in Southwark Crown Court.
Stay Connected
Subscribe to updates from The Shade Room
Despite the seriousness of the attack, Judge Baumgartner said Brown did not qualify for a custodial sentence because he pleaded guilty and there were several mitigating circumstances, including stable employment and charity work. The judge acknowledged Chris Brown’s previous convictions but said he had maintained a clean record in recent years.
Meanwhile, Chris Brown’s friend and vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu also pleaded guilty to affray. He was given a four-month suspended sentence.
Affray is the use or threat of unlawful violence that leads someone to fear for their safety.
Prosecutors Played Fight Footage In Court
Video footage played in court showed Chris Brown having to be pulled away from the victim, his former friend Abraham Diaw. The singer had struck him twice in the head with a bottle. Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe said Breezy played a leading role in the attack.
“By any circumstances, when one watches that footage, it is Mr. Brown that moves first,” Stonecliffe said.
Diaw was discharged from the hospital with head and knee injuries, Stonecliffe said. Meanwhile, defense lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins said Chris apologized to all those at the club that night. She emphasized the attack lasted no more than 20 seconds.
“This is an ugly and unattractive incident,” Bennett-Jenkins said. “It is something which undoubtedly would have caused distress to those who are present and for which Mr. Brown … offers a profound apology to all those present.”
Fans Waited For Breezy Outside Of Courthouse
Fans, who came from as far as Italy and the Netherlands, cheered Chris Brown outside the courthouse. He covered his face with a black mask and dark glasses. Most of Chris’ bleached hair was hidden from view under a black ball cap. He wore a black leather jacket and a light-colored turtleneck. He blew a kiss to one fan and appeared to sign an autograph for another as he moved through a pack of photographers and onlookers.
But not everyone was cheering for him. When Chris Brown arrived at court in the morning, a lone voice was shouting at him to ask when he was going to learn that violence is not OK.
Brown left the United Kingdom after the brawl. But police arrested him in May 2025 at a Manchester hotel after flying to the city for a concert. He had been free on bail of 5 million pounds ($6.7 million), which allowed him to tour Europe and North America the past two summers.
RELATED: Chris Brown Shares Photo Alongside Infant Son Arrow & Folks Are Bringing Up His Custody Case With Diamond Brown
Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
