Singer Chris Brown admits affray over ‘vicious and unprovoked’ bottle attack

By Sam Hall and Andrés De Miguel, Press Association

R&B singer Chris Brown has admitted affray over a “vicious and unprovoked” bottle attack at a central London club.

The 37-year-old had been facing trial later this year after he hit a former friend twice over the head with a bottle on the dancefloor at the Tape private members’ club in Mayfair in 2023.

On Friday at Southwark Crown Court, a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Abraham Diaw was dropped along with two charges of possessing an offensive weapon – a bottle – in a public place and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

Brown, from California, USA, was charged along with his vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, 40, who had also denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm and has now pleaded guilty to affray.

The pair will be sentenced on October 26 for the affray charge.

The CPS said in the early hours of February 19th 2023, the victim was at the Tape London nightclub in Hanover Square, central London, when Brown approached him from the dancefloor.

After moving through the crowd, Brown “struck the victim twice over the head with a glass bottle”, the CPS said.

It added that Akinlolu, of Florida, USA, “quickly joined Brown and punched the victim to the head”.

The CPS said the pair “continued their assault whilst the victim attempted to flee through the club” and “the victim was kicked while he was seated defenceless on the floor”.

The victim attended St Mary’s Hospital with head and knee injuries.

Following the incident, police became aware that Brown and Akinlolu had left the UK and a warrant was issued for their arrest.

Brown returned to the UK over two years after the incident for a concert in Manchester as part of his world tour and was arrested on May 15th 2025.

During a brief hearing on Friday, prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC applied for an extra charge of affray to be added to the indictment, saying this had been accepted by all parties.

A court clerk then read out the charge to the singer and his vocal coach, which alleged: “Chris Brown and Omololu Akinlolu on February 19th 2023 used or threatened unlawful violence towards another and their conduct taken together was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.”

Brown, who took deep breaths before the delayed hearing began, then entered a guilty plea alongside Akinlolu to gasps in the courtroom.

Judge Tony Baumgartner bailed Brown and Akinlolu to be sentenced on October 26th at Southwark Crown Court.

The judge set bail conditions that allow Brown to leave the UK but he must return on October 25th – the day before his sentencing.

Members of Brown’s entourage sat on the front row of the public gallery as the verdicts were entered during the hearing that lasted four-and-a-half minutes.

Claire Campbell, Senior Crown Prosecutor in CPS London South, said: “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice.

“This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly – with the police and partners across the criminal justice system – to pursue cases like this and prove that no one is above the law.”

Detective Constable Zara Ripamonti, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said: “This was a disgraceful, unprovoked assault that put a man in hospital.

“There is no place for serious violence like this in London and I’m pleased these men accepted what they did wasn’t just completely unacceptable – but criminal.

“This has been a long investigation and we’ve worked with police colleagues in the UK to bring these two men to justice.”

The singer, wearing a tan suit, gold-rimmed sunglasses and a St Louis Cardinals baseball hat, was flanked by security guards as he arrived at court, where a small group of fans had gathered.

The American singer-songwriter waved to fans as he arrived on a sunny morning in the capital with security guards and police officers stationed outside the central London court.

Fans played the artist’s music and shouted his name, with one saying “I love you Chris”, as others held signs.

At earlier hearings, Brown was ordered to pay a £5 million security fee as part of his bail conditions, which also allowed him to go on a world tour as long as he surrendered his passport on arrival in each country.

Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating his former girlfriend, pop star Rihanna.

Brown admitted at Los Angeles Superior Court to one count of felony assault relating to an incident that occurred hours before the pair were due to perform at the Grammy Awards.