American singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty in assault case in Britain
Chris Brown is charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an assault in 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – American R&B singer Chris Brown on June 20 pleaded not guilty in a British court to a charge stemming from an alleged London nightclub brawl in 2023.
Brown, 36, wearing a dark suit and tie, as well as glasses, stood in the dock in London as the charge was put to him, replying: 'Not guilty, ma'am.'
The singer, who is on £5 million (S$8.7 million) bail, waved to people in the public gallery as he left, following his plea to allegedly attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
A five to seven-day long trial was scheduled to start on Oct 26, 2026.
The singer was held in custody for nearly a week in May after he was arrested in the north-western city of Manchester. He was later released on bail.
Under the terms of his bail, he will forfeit the £5 million guarantee if he fails to return for court proceedings.
He was also given the go-ahead to continue his scheduled international tour, which began on June 8 in Amsterdam.
The star, who had a troubled relationship with Barbadian singer Rihanna, is on the British leg of his tour, with his next date in London on June 21.
Brown is charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an assault in which the victim was allegedly struck several times with a bottle before being pursued, punched and kicked.
The alleged incident took place at a nightclub in Hanover Square in London on Feb 19, 2023 while Brown was touring in Britain.
Grammy winner
Police detained him in the early hours of May 13 at a five-star hotel in Manchester after he reportedly flew in by private jet.
Other bail terms include that he should surrender his passport if he is not travelling.
He is also required to live at a specific address known to the court and is not permitted to visit the nightclub where the alleged assault took place or contact the alleged victim, Mr Abraham Diah.
He appeared in the dock with co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, an American, with whom he is jointly charged.
Akinlolu also entered a not guilty plea to the same charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
Omololu Akinlolu entered a not guilty plea to the charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Both men are also jointly charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
They will enter pleas to that charge on July 11, the court was told.
Brown also faces a third charge of having an offensive weapon, a bottle, in public.
The Grammy-winning singer is known for mid-2000s hits such as Kiss, Kiss.
He rose from a local church choir in Virginia to sudden fame with his rich R&B voice and later rap, but his reputation has been tarnished by the allegations of abuse.
He is also scheduled to perform in France, Portugal and the United States later in 2025, before the tour wraps up in Memphis in mid-October. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
20 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Ex-assistant to Sean ‘Diddy' Combs says job included buying drugs, setting up sex parties
Sean "Diddy" Combs listening in a court sketch, as Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik questions Combs' former personal assistant, Brendan Paul, on June 20. PHOTO: REUTERS Ex-assistant to Sean 'Diddy' Combs says job included buying drugs, setting up sex parties NEW YORK - Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former personal assistant testified on June 20 at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial that he often bought drugs for his boss and set up hotel rooms for sex parties known as 'wild king nights.' Prosecutors hope the testimony by Brendan Paul, who worked for Combs from late 2022 through March 2024, will help them prove their racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs. Prosecutors say Combs used his businesses' resources to coerce women into ecstasy-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to all five criminal counts. His lawyers call the sexual activity consensual. The Bad Boy Records founder, a former billionaire who elevated hip-hop in American culture, could face life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors are winding down their case after six weeks, with defense witnesses expected to testify next week. Paul, testifying under immunity from prosecutors, said he bought Combs about US$4,200 (S$5,400) of marijuana and hundreds of dollars of ketamine during his employment. Jurors saw a text message in which Paul asked Combs' security staff to be reimbursed for his drug purchases. They also saw a Feb 14, 2024 text message in which Combs wrote 'You get me zans,' which Paul said was a request to procure Xanax without a prescription. Paul said Combs ultimately obtained Xanax elsewhere, and used cocaine and ecstasy in his presence. Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Brian Steel, Paul said procuring drugs was a minor part of his job, and he thought the drugs were solely for Combs' personal use. 'You were not some drug mule?' Steel asked. 'Absolutely not,' Paul said. Brendan Paul, former assistant of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, leaving court after testifying, on June 20. PHOTO: REUTERS Paul also said that before three or four 'wild king nights,' he stocked hotel rooms with lubricant, baby oil, liquor and a Gucci pouch filled with hard drugs. When Combs was done, Paul said he would put on gloves and clean up to avoid being billed by hotels for damage. Paul said he was charged with cocaine possession after being arrested on March 25, 2024, at Miami-Opa Locka airport in Florida while travelling to the Bahamas with Combs and other staffers. He said he put the cocaine in his bag after finding it while cleaning Combs' room that day, but forgot about it and did not tell law enforcement where it came from. Asked by prosecutor Christy Slavik why he kept silent, Paul said, 'Loyalty.' Paul said the cocaine charge was dropped. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
North Carolina resident killed in Puerto Rico for flashy jewelry
SAN JUAN - A North Carolina resident vacationing with his family in Puerto Rico was killed overnight in a robbery, leaving him stripped of the luxury jewelry he was wearing, police said on Friday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Noa Joshua Ameson, 38, was on vacation in Manati, to the west of capital San Juan. Police told Reuters the beachside neighborhood where the incident took place is usually quiet and robberies of this nature are uncommon, marking a rare outbreak of violence in the area. CONTEXT Ameson and his family were returning to the vacation home they were renting when armed, masked attackers intercepted them, Axel Valencia, spokesperson for the Puerto Rico police, told Reuters. Valencia added that Ameson may have tried to fight back when one of the attackers shot him. He was taken to hospital, where he died. WHAT'S NEXT Police are working to obtain security footage and to identify a vehicle which the attackers may have escaped in, Valencia added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Venice divided ahead of billionaire Bezos' 'wedding of the century'
FILE PHOTO: Protesters display a banner reading \"No Space for Bezos!\" on the Rialto Bridge during a protest against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' upcoming wedding to Lauren Sanchez being held in Venice, Italy, June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscars party after the 97th Academy Awards, in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., March 2, 2025. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Protesters display a banner reading \"No Space for Bezos!\" on the Rialto Bridge during a protest against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' upcoming wedding to Lauren Sanchez being held in Venice, Italy, June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri/File Photo ROME - Venice is divided ahead of next week's celebrity wedding of U.S. tech-tycoon Jeff Bezos and Laura Sanchez, with some looking forward to the glitz and glamour, while others fear it will turn the scenic city of gondolas and palazzi into an amusement park. Many details of the wedding are still under wraps - including the precise day it will happen - but it is certain that scores of stars from film, fashion and business will arrive to see Bezos tie the knot - provided they can get past the protesters. One group has plastered banners on the city's famous Rialto Bridge reading "No space for Bezos!" and threatened peaceful blockades, complaining that the medieval and Renaissance city needs public services and housing, not celebrities and over-tourism. "Bezos arrogantly believes he can take over the city and turn it into his own private party venue," said Tommaso Cacciari, a leading light of the "No space for Bezos" campaign. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia, on the other hand, argue that the wedding will bring an economic windfall to local businesses, including the motor boats and gondolas that operate its myriad canals. Eleven years ago actor George Clooney married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in Venice, turning the city into Hollywood on the Adriatic with a weekend of lavish celebrations. Then, locals and tourists alike were excited to witness a memorable moment in the city's long history of hosting stars for its film festival, the world's oldest. Bezos, 61, the founder of e-commerce giant Amazon and the world's third-richest man, got engaged to journalist Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott. After a swirl of media speculation about the venue of what has been dubbed "the wedding of the century" Brugnaro confirmed in March that it would take place in Venice, which last year began charging tourists a fee to enter the city. The date is expected to be some time between June 23-28 in the midst of three days of stylish celebrations. In the face of early protests from residents who feared the arrival of thousands of celebrities and hangers-on, the city issued a statement clarifying that it would involve around 200 guests and would not disrupt Venetians' everyday life. Bezos and Scott had four children together, while Sanchez was previously married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She also has a son with NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
