Chris Brown due to appear in court over alleged ‘bottle attack' charge

North Wales Chronicle

11-07-2025

Last month the 36 year-old US musician pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Abraham Diaw at the Tape venue, a private members' club in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on February 19 2023.
On Friday, Brown is due to make another appearance at London's Southwark Crown for a plea hearing amid preparations for his trial which is set for October.
His co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, 39, has also pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
Both men are further charged with assaulting Mr Diaw occasioning him actual bodily harm, with Brown also facing one count of having an offensive weapon, a bottle, in a public place.
The two-time Grammy award winner, which hits including Run It! and Go Crazy, has managed to press on with his scheduled international tour despite his legal battle.
He is on conditional bail and performed in Cardiff in June as part of a stadium tour which was billed as a celebration of the past 20 years of his career.
He had to pay a £5 million security fee to the court as part of the bail agreement, which is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court and may be forfeited if they breach bail conditions.
At his last court appearance, his defence counsel Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC told the hearing it had been difficult to discuss matters with her client while he is working.
Manchester Magistrates' Court previously heard that Mr Diaw was standing at the bar of the Tape nightclub when he was struck several times with a bottle, and then pursued to a separate area of the nightclub where he was punched and kicked repeatedly.
Brown was arrested at Manchester's Lowry Hotel at 2am on May 15 by detectives from the Metropolitan Police.
He is said to have flown into Manchester Airport on a private jet in preparation for the UK tour dates.
Brown was released from HMP Forest Bank in Salford, Greater Manchester, on May 21.
Shortly after being released from prison, Brown posted an Instagram story referencing his upcoming tour which said 'FROM THE CAGE TO THE STAGE!!! BREEZYBOWL.'