American R&B singer Chris Brown was handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, by a London court on Monday, 26 October 2026.
Brown, 37, avoided immediate jail time after previously pleading guilty to affray.
The charge stems from a February 2023 incident at the Tape nightclub in Mayfair, where prosecutors said Brown attacked music producer Abraham Diaw with a tequila bottle.
CCTV footage played at Southwark Crown Court showed Brown striking Diaw twice in the head with a bottle before the victim was chased, pushed to the floor and kicked.
Diaw required hospital treatment for head and knee injuries.
In July 2026, Brown pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of affray.
The Crown Prosecution Service dropped more serious charges in exchange, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
Brown’s vocal coach, 40-year-old Omololu Akinlolu, also known as Hoodie Baby, pleaded guilty to affray for his role in punching and kicking the victim.
Akinlolu was handed a four-month prison sentence, also suspended for 12 months.
Judge Tony Baumgartner described the repeated use of a glass bottle as “plainly dangerous,” noting it carried a high risk of causing more severe injuries than were sustained.
But the judge ruled that a custodial sentence was not necessary due to mitigating factors, including the early guilty plea, Brown’s stable employment and his recent charity work.
Because the sentence is suspended, Brown is free to return to the United States.
He is scheduled to begin a 15-date stadium tour alongside Usher on 5 November in Atlanta.
