American R&B singer Chris Brown has been sentenced to an eight-month jail term, suspended for a year, following a 2023 brawl at a London nightclub. The sentence, handed down at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, means the 37-year-old will not be imprisoned unless he commits another offence during the next 12 months.

Brown had pleaded guilty to affray in July. The charge stemmed from an incident at Tape, a private members’ club in London, on February 19, 2023, while he was touring Britain. Prosecutors alleged that Brown and co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, a 40-year-old US national, carried out “a vicious and unprovoked attack” in the crowded venue, claiming Brown “used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice.” The victim was reportedly struck several times with a bottle before being pursued, punched and kicked.

The guilty plea allowed Brown to avoid a trial on several other charges, including attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a bottle as an offensive weapon—charges he had previously denied.

Judge Tony Baumgartner, in handing down the sentence, stated: “Violence of this kind in a crowded nightclub is serious. It creates an obvious risk, not merely to the person against whom it is directed, but also to others.” He added, “This was not planned violence. It was nevertheless serious violence by two people in a crowded nightclub.” Akinlolu also pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for a year.

Brown arrived at court wearing a black face mask, sunglasses and a black baseball cap. Following the sentencing, he was greeted by loud cheers from fans outside the court and later posted a video on Instagram from inside his car, making a thumbs-up sign.

The singer, known for mid-2000s hits such as “Kiss, Kiss,” has a well-documented history of legal troubles. In 2009, he was convicted of felony assault for attacking his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, before the Grammy Awards. In 2012, he was involved in an altercation at a New York nightclub with members of Drake’s entourage, during which French basketball player Tony Parker suffered an eye injury from a thrown glass bottle. Two years later, Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting a fan in Washington.