Image source, Reuters

Judge Tony Baumgartner has just finished sentencing R&B singer Chris Brown and his vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu for affray over an incident in a London nightclub in February 2023. Both defendants had pleaded guilty.

This is we heard during the sentencing remarks:

• On the attack: Brown's "repeated use of a glass bottle" to strike Abe Diaw - including twice on the head - was "plainly dangerous", said the judge, and risked "causing significantly more serious injury" than was ultimately sustained
• The entire incident was "short", the judge said, adding that brevity is relevant. But he described the violence as "intense" although not planned

• On Brown's co-defendant: Akinlolu did not initiate the violence, the judge said, but became "an active participant" and played a "significant" role in the attack
• Factors the judge considered: He told Brown that he was not entitled to any special treatment because of his fame, but factors he had considered included his charitable activities and that he is a father of four
• The judge also said Brown's previous convictions involving violence were "relevant" but "are now old"
• Brown avoids jail: The singer was given an eight-month sentence, suspended for 12, while his co-defendant Akinlolu was sentenced to four months, also suspended for 12 - this means they avoid prison as long as they aren't convicted of anything else in this time period. Both men must also each pay £1,500 towards the prosecution's costs
• The judge told both defendants the suspended sentence order "is a custodial sentence"

Judge Tony Baumgartner has finished his sentencing remarks.

We'll shortly be bringing you a recap of all the key lines from the hearing.

More now from Judge Baumgartner, who says the custodial threshold for both defendants is crossed.

He says Chris Brown is given an eight month sentence suspended for 12 months.

Co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu gets four months, also suspended for 12 months.

Image source, Elizabeth Cook/PA

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, reporting from court

R&B singer Chris Brown has been given eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months.

Addressing Akinlolu now, the judge says his culpability is lower than that of Brown's, with the prosecution accepting he neither possessed nor used a bottle.

His violence consisted of punches and a kick directed at Diaw while on the ground.

The judge further considers the fact he pursued Diaw when he tried to move away, and the fact that the attack took place in a "crowded" and "confined" environment.

Akinlolu did not initiate the violence, the judge continues, and joined only after it had begun - but his role was "significant".

He says his sentence will be "distinctly below" that imposed on Brown.

Image source, Crown Copyright

The judge tells Brown that he played a "leading role in this joint offending" and that he will take that into account when sentencing.

He notes that Brown has "two previous convictions involving violence", dating to 2009 and 2013. These are "relevant because of their nature" but they are "now old", he says.

He adds that Brown has been under bail conditions for a "lengthy period", adding that he's considered his compliance with these.

Other factors that the judge says he is taking into account are that Brown is a father of four, and the impact a custodial sentence may have on them. As well as his "stable employment" and "charitable activities".

But he emphasises that Brown is not entitled to special treatment because of his "fame, commercial success, and professional standing".

He adds Brown's pre-sentence report deemed his risk of further offending to be "low".

Judge Tony Baumgartner continues and says Diaw went to hospital shortly after the incident.

He says he had a head injury, or head trauma, together with muscular-skeletal problems.

There was tenderness around the cervical spine, and tenderness in the abdomen, and reduced movement of the left knee, the judge says.

He says Chris Brown's responsibility comes from category A2 as an offence, because he used the bottle as a weapon.

His offending was more serious than that of the co-defendant, because he initiated the physical violence, the judge adds.

Image source, Crown Copyright

Continuing to run through the events, the judge addresses Akinlolu - saying he did not initiate the violence but nevertheless "became an active participant".

He describes both defendants pursuing Diaw, and references a kick seen in the CCTV footage that was directed to Diaw while he was on the ground.

The judge says he is "satisfied" the kicking foot was Akinlolu's and he will sentence him on that basis.

The CCTV also shows Brown being "physically" pulled away and trying to get back to Diaw.

The entire incident was "short", the judge continues, and adds that brevity is relevant, but the violence was "intense" although not planned.

The judge then turns to the explanations from the two defendants - he says Brown's case is that he was uncomfortable with Diaw's presence and believed him a threat, while Akinlolu's case is that he thought Brown was being attacked and his initial motivation had been to "defend".

Beginning his remarks, Judge Tony Baumgartner reminds the two defendants that the maximum sentence is three years in prison, a fine, or both.

He outlines the court proceedings which have led up to this point, with both defendants pleading guilty to affray.

The judge notes that he has heard court submissions and viewed CCTV footage of the incident - which he has based his findings on - and starts outlining the events of the night.

He says the incident occurred "in the early hours" of 19 February 2023, in the VIP area of Tape nightclub.

Baumgartner says that Chris Brown "walked through the crowd towards" music producer Abe Diaw, and "struck him twice" with a tequila bottle. Brown then hit him on the shoulder and then attempted to strike him a fourth time.

"The repeated use of a glass bottle in that way... was plainly dangerous," says the judge, adding that it "carried the risk of causing significantly more serious injury than was ultimately sustained".

Chris Brown pleaded guilty to a charge of affray in July this year - he'd been due to face a trial on more serious charges, which he denied, and which were subsequently dropped.

These were assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, and having an offensive weapon.

Brown's vocal coach, 40-year-old rapper Omololu Akinlolu, also pleaded guilty to affray, and had assault and attempted grievous bodily harm charges dropped.

The offence relates to an attack on music producer Abe Diaw at a London nightclub on 19 February 2023.

The judge has just started delivering his sentencing remarks.

We've got a stream of that playing at the top of the page, and we'll bring you text updates as well.

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, reporting from court

A 10-minute break has been called before the sentence will be handed down.

Chris Brown stood up in the dock to talk to his legal team through the glass, before sitting down again, clasping his hands, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

He is now chatting to his co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, smiling for the first time since he entered court.

Some more now from Brown's defence lawyer who tells the court that he apologises to all those present at the club at the time of the attack.

"This is an ugly and unattractive incident," Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC says.

"It is, however, an incident which was very short-lived, lasting something more than 17 seconds but no more than 20.

"It is something which undoubtedly would have caused distress to those who are present and for which Mr Brown... offers a profound apology to all those present."

As a reminder, the prosecution and defence are currently addressing the judge before he makes his sentencing remarks.

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, reporting from court

The defence describes Chris Brown as a "dedicated and a loving father of four children,” someone who is "positive and present” - watching them "play sport" and doing the school run.

He is described as having lived "a good and law-abiding life" since his last conviction in 2013.

The events in Tape nightclub are described as a "short and deeply regretted incident".

It is argued that the attack left no fractures or broken skin and there was an absence of serious injuries.

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, reporting from court

In court we have been shown three pieces of CCTV footage from inside Tape nightclub on the night of the attack. There is a total of two minutes 23 seconds of footage.

The attack lasted no more than 20 seconds but Chris Brown can be seen hitting the victim, Abe Diaw, four times with a tequila bottle, twice to the head.

Prosecutor, Heidi Stonecliffe KC, describes the weapon as a "heavy square shaped tequila bottle" and says Diaw was approached by Brown at around 03:00.

The footage shows that the nightclub is very small and very packed.

Chris Brown is watching from the dock. His face is motionless.

The CCTV footage will be released after the sentencing hearing.

As a reminder, you can watch the judge's sentencing remarks at the top of this page from 11:00 GMT.

Both defendants were pictured arriving at Southwark Crown Court this morning ahead of the hearing getting under way.

Fans and the press flanked the entrance to the court.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, EPA

Affray is an offence under the Public Order Act and a person is deemed guilty in law if they use or threaten "unlawful violence towards another" with their behaviour leading someone to fear for their personal safety.

It can be committed in both public and private places and is punishable by up to three years in jail.

When deciding the sentences today, the judge will consider factors including the harm caused and the level of culpability.

As a reminder, both Brown and Akinlolu pleaded guilty to the offence in July - and prosecutors dropped more serious charges that the pair had denied.

Colin Paterson
Entertainment Correspondent, reporting from court

Image source, PA Media

I am at Southwark Crown Court for Chris Brown's sentencing.

A group of around 35 of his fans have been waiting for access to the public gallery - not all of them will get in.

Destiny Williams from Birmingham is first in line. She saw him in Toronto and Birmingham last year and went to LA for another show this year in SoFi Stadium.

She tells me: "I want to be here to support Chris. It is part of history. I am hoping he gets a fine or a suspended sentence."

Charlie Gearing has come down from Leeds with her mum Lizzie, who has not let a hip replacement stop her being here today.

"We are supporters of Chris Brown," says Lizzie. "He is an excellent performer."

Charlie, 50, met Brown at the Lowry Hotel before his Manchester show: "I want to watch him walk out a free man. If he signs my hand I will get it tattooed."

Zoe Jones has come down from Birmingham getting up at 04:00 GMT.

"I think I am his number one fan. I met him in Amsterdam. I think he deserves a chance. We are all human.”

Sonia McCalla, from Hertfordshire, got here at 08:15 to get her spot - she is currently sixth in the queue.

"I want to support Chris. I think he is an amazing artist. I am hoping for a suspended sentence and he doesn’t go to prison."

Image source, Reuters

One of the most successful stars in US R&B, Chris Brown has won two Grammy Awards - with his first nomination in 2007.

He has had a number of top 10 singles in the UK - including hits like Turn Up The Music, Freaky Friday, With You and Don't Wake Me Up.

He had been granted bail by the court - allowing him to leave the UK.

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

Over the summer, Brown has been on tour with Usher - with Ticketmaster listing some of the scheduled October dates as cancelled.

Image source, Reu

Prosecutors for the case have called the attack "vicious and unprovoked".

Following Brown and Akinlolu's guilty pleas, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) released a statement outlining that Brown had approached Abe Diaw on the dance floor, hitting him over the head with a glass bottle twice, before Akinlolu then punched Diaw in the head.

"They continued their assault whilst the victim attempted to flee through the club," the CPS said.

"The victim was kicked while he was seated defenceless on the floor."