Singer Chris Brown appears in London court for ‘bottle attack’ case
R&B singer Chris Brown appears in a London court ahead of his trial over an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub in 2023.
The 36-year-old actor will face a jury trial on October 26 for allegedly assaulting a former friend at the Tape private members club in Mayfair.
On Wednesday Brown returned to Southwark Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing before Judge Tony Baumgartner.
Lawyers in the case briefed the judge on preparations for the trial during an eight-minute hearing before Judge Baumgartner reaffirmed Brown’s bail conditions.
At previous hearings Brown was ordered to pay a £5 million security fee as part of his bail conditions; This also allowed him to go on a world tour as long as he surrendered his passport upon arrival in each country.
Wearing a white jacket over a black shirt and smart gray trousers, Brown was held by security guards when he arrived at court on Wednesday morning.
Security guards manned the courtroom doors while members of Brown’s entourage sat in the front row of the public gallery.
The star waved to supporters in the public gallery as he was led out of the court at the end of the hearing.
Brown had already pleaded not guilty in June last year to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Abraham Diaw at the Tape venue, a private members’ club in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on February 19, 2023.
He also denied possession of an offensive weapon (bottle) in a public place and a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
Brown is accused along with vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu, 39, who also denies assault causing actual bodily harm.
Mr Diaw is said to have been hit several times with a bottle before being kicked and punched several times after confronting Brown and his entourage at the venue’s Dirty Martini club night.
Both defendants, sitting side by side in the dock, are expected to appear in court again on April 26 for the next pre-trial hearing.
