Chris Brown arrives in court to enter a plea on alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

Chris Brown has arrived at court to enter a plea on an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago.
The American rapper, 36, arrived at Southwark Crown Court this morning, accused of causing grievous bodily harm to music producer Abraham Diaw in February 2023.
He will also be appearing alongside his co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, 38, for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
Just hours after flying into the UK on a private jet, the popular R&B singer was arrested at Manchester's Lowry Hotel on May 15 by Metropolitan Police detectives.
Brown was then charged over an alleged assault at the Tape nightclub in Hanover Square in Mayfair on February 19, 2023.
On May 21, he was released from HMP Forest Bank in Salford, Greater Manchester, on a £5million bail agreement.
Manchester Magistrates' Court heard last month that Mr Diaw was standing at the bar of the popular London venue when he was struck several times with a bottle.
He was then allegedly pursued to a separate area of the nightclub before being punched and kicked repeatedly while he lay on the floor.
Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls previously described the incident as an 'extremely serious' attack that was caught on CCTV.
She said Mr Diaw was 'struck with a bottle several times' and 'punched and kicked repeatedly'.
As part of Brown's bail conditions, he must reside at a UK address and can also only access his passport when he needs to travel for a tour date.
Other bail conditions include not to attend the Tape nightclub or contact his co-accused, Dallas rapper Omolulu Akinlolu, 38, the complainant or any witnesses.
If found to be in breach of such conditions, Brown could be asked to forfeit the £5million.
Shortly after the singer was released on remand from prison, he posted a story to Instagram to his 144million followers that read: 'From the cage to the stage!!!', adding the word Breezbowl - the name of his tour.
The Go Crazy singer kicked off his Breezy Bowl XX tour on June 8, 2025 in Amsterdam before arriving in the UK to perform in Manchester on Sunday.
Speaking to a sold-out crowd at the Co-Op Live Arena, Brown thanked his fans for ' coming and supporting me ', adding jokingly: 'And thank you to the jail. It was really nice'.
Brown, who was released on £5M bail, was shielded by staff behind a large white board while leaving the five star Lowry Hotel where he was detained in the early hours of May 15
He is set to perform in London later this week, before returning to perform in Manchester on June 24 and July 3, followed by shows in Birmingham, Rathfarnham and Glasgow.
Previously, Adele Kelly, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: 'We have authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Chris Brown with one count of grievous bodily harm, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
'The alleged incident occurred in London on February 19, 2023. He will have his first court appearance on Friday, May 16 at Manchester Magistrates' Court.
'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.'
Before the charge was made, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'A 36-year-old man was arrested at a hotel in Manchester shortly after 2am on Thursday, May 15 on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
'He has been taken into custody where he remains. The arrest relates to an incident at a venue in Hanover Square on February 19, 2023.
'The investigation is being led by detectives from the Central West Area Basic Command Unit.'
It was initially understood that the arrest had been made by the Metropolitan Police.
But a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson clarified: 'This morning (Thursday May 15) we arrested a 36-year-old man at a hotel in Manchester on suspicion of grievous bodily harm on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.'
Brown rose to fame at a young age with his rich R&B voice and later rap, and was also known for having a relationship with fellow music star Rihanna.
He released his debut album Chris Brown in 2005 and has since released a further ten studio albums and 64 singles.
Some of his biggest hits have included Run It!, Yo (Excuse Me Miss) and No Air, a collaboration with Jordin Sparks.