Chris Brown will not go to prison over the 2023 attack on music producer Abraham “Abe” Diaw at a London nightclub. On Monday at Southwark Crown Court, Judge Tony Baumgartner gave the 37-year-old singer an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, the BBC, the Guardian and Reuters reported.

Brown had pleaded guilty to affray. Under the suspended sentence, he will not be jailed unless he commits another offence during the 12-month suspension period, according to the BBC. The judge attached no extra requirements to the order, the BBC reported. His vocal coach and co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, 40, who also pleaded guilty to affray, received four months, also suspended for 12 months. Each man was ordered to pay £1,500 toward the prosecution’s costs, the BBC and the Guardian reported.

Billboard posted the news on X at about 8:32 AM ET.

What the judge said

The BBC reported that Baumgartner told the court: “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.”

He also said, per the BBC, that Brown’s fame, commercial success and professional standing “do not entitle you to special treatment - the law applies equally to everyone.” In setting the sentence, the BBC reported, the judge took into account Brown’s guilty plea, his compliance with bail conditions and the impact a custodial term would have on his children, and he said Brown’s “risk of further offending is low.”

According to the BBC’s live coverage, the judge said that by law he was required to suspend each custodial sentence of 12 months or less unless the defendant was an excluded offender or exceptional circumstances justified immediate custody, and that the circumstances in this case “do not justify” that. The BBC noted that the Sentencing Act 2026 introduced that presumption. The judge told both defendants the suspended order should still be seen as a punishment.

What the court heard

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC described the weapon as a “heavy square-shaped tequila bottle,” the BBC and the Guardian reported. CCTV shown in court showed Brown swinging the bottle at Diaw, connecting twice with his head and then hitting his shoulder, and the judge said Brown “attempted to strike him a fourth time,” during an attack that lasted no more than 20 seconds at about 3 a.m.

Diaw was treated at St Mary’s Hospital, and an MRI scan in early March showed a “high grade injury to a ligament on the inner side of the left knee,” the court heard, per the BBC. The BBC also reported that the court was told Diaw “withdrew” his support for the prosecution some time after the incident.

Brown’s barrister, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC, called it “an ugly and unattractive incident” that was “very short-lived,” and said Brown “offers a profound apology to all those present,” according to the BBC. The defence disputed how serious Diaw’s injuries were.

After leaving court, Brown posted a video to his Instagram story showing him giving a thumbs-up from inside a car, the BBC reported.

How the case got here

  • Feb. 19, 2023: The attack took place in the early hours at Tape, a private members’ club in Hanover Square, Mayfair, per the BBC and the Manchester Evening News.

  • May 15, 2025: Brown was arrested at the Lowry Hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester, after flying into the UK for a tour, and was charged with grievous bodily harm with intent, the Guardian reported. A district judge remanded him in custody the following day, the BBC reported, and he was released on bail days later, according to the Manchester Evening News.

  • June 2025: Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included assault occasioning actual bodily harm, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon, the Manchester Evening News reported.

  • July 24, 2026: Brown and Akinlolu pleaded guilty to affray at Southwark Crown Court, and prosecutors dropped the other charges, the Guardian and AP reported.

The October 26 date had originally been set for a jury trial, according to the Manchester Evening News. It became the sentencing date after the guilty pleas.