Singer Chris Brown in UK court ahead of assault trial

US singer Chris Brown appeared in court for a brief hearing ahead of his trial later this year on charges of assaulting a music producer at a London nightclub.

Brown pleaded not guilty last year to one count of attempted infliction of grievous bodily harm and a less serious charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for what prosecutors called an “unprovoked assault” with a bottle in 2023.

The 36-year-old actor attended Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday and spoke only to confirm his name.

Brown entered the stand and shook hands with co-defendant Ömololu Akınlolu, 39, who denied the charges against him. About a dozen supporters sat behind them in the public gallery and waved as they left the dock.

The couple’s trial will begin in October. Both were granted bail ahead of a preliminary hearing in April.

Two-time Grammy Award winner Brown, known for hits such as Loyal, Run It and Under the Influence, was released on bail in May after paying STG5 million ($A9.86 million) to embark on his Breezy Bowl XX tour, which ended in October.

The R&B star was arrested at a hotel in Manchester, northern England, last year after returning to the UK for the first time since the incident.