Singer Chris Brown admits affray at central London private members club
The 37-year old had faced accusations he attacked someone at a club in Mayfair in 2023
Last updated 2 hours ago
R&B singer Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to affray after a confrontation at a central London club.
The 37-year-old had been facing trial later this year over an allegation he attacked a former friend with a bottle 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 will be sentenced on October 26 for the affray charge.
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.
A clerk at Southwark Crown Court read out the charge of affray to the singer and his vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu that alleged: “Chris Brown and Omololu Akinlolu on February 19 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.
Prosecutors said that Chris Brown struck his victim twice over the head with a glass bottle before his vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, joined and punched the man to the head.
The victim was also kicked while he was sitting defenceless on the floor, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) added.
He attended St Mary’s Hospital with head and knee injuries.
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.
He was released on bail again on Friday.