apologized for the attack

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe said Brown played a leading role in the attack.

 By any circumstances, when one watches that footage, it is Mr. Brown that moves first,  Stonecliffe said.

Defense lawyer Sallie Bennett-Jenkins said Brown apologized to all those at the club that night, though she emphasized the attack lasted no more than 20 seconds.

RELATED STORY | Grammy winner Chris Brown pleads guilty in London nightclub attack case

 This is an ugly and unattractive incident,  Bennett-Jenkins said.  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. 

Diaw was discharged from the hospital with head and knee injuries, Stonecliffe said.

Crowds greet Brown outside court

Brown was cheered outside the courthouse by fans who came from as far as Italy and the Netherlands.

His face was covered behind in a black mask and dark glasses and his bleached hair was mostly hidden from view under a black ball cap. He wore a black leather jacket and light-colored turtleneck.

He blew a kiss to one fan and appeared to sign an autograph for another as he moved through a pack of photographers and onlookers.

Not everyone was cheering for him. When he arrived at court in the morning, a lone voice could be heard shouting at him to ask when he was going to learn that violence is not OK.

Brown left the United Kingdom after the brawl but was arrested in May 2025 at a Manchester hotel after flying to the city for a concert. He had been free on bail of 5 million pounds ($6.7 million), which allowed him to tour Europe and North America the past two summers.

Brown rose to stardom as a teen in 2005 and won his first Grammy for best R B album in 2011 for  F.A.M.E.  He earned his second in the same category for  11:11 (Deluxe)  in 2025.