Chris Brown pleads guilty to assaulting Rihanna
Chris Brown pleads guilty to assaulting Rihanna
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Monday, 22, Jun 2009 10:57
By Lewis Bazley.
Singer Chris Brown has avoided a jail spell after pleading guilty to asaulting ex-girlfriend Rihanna earlier this year.
The Forever star will serve five years of probation after being convicted of felony assault and was ordered to serve 180 hours of community service.
TMZ.com reports Brown, 20, was also ordered to enrol in a domestic violence counselling programme after pleading guilty to attacking Rihanna - real name Robyn Fenty - on the night of the Grammy awards in February.
Photographs leaked of the Umbrella star soon after the incident showed the Barbadian singer badly bruised and with facial scratches.
She had been subpoenaed to appear in court in Los Angeles on Monday but Brown's plea deal saw Rihanna avoid taking the stand to testify against her former boyfriend.
He will serve his community service in his home state of Virginia having pleaded guilty to felony assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury.
Superior court judge Patricia Schnegg is quoted by People as saying: "Mr Brown, I think it's commendable that you took responsibility for your conduct."
Passing Brown's sentence, judge Schnegg added: "I want Mr Brown to be treated the same as any other defendant who would come into this court.
"That means something like Caltrans [waste disposal] or graffiti removal, and a two-week domestic violence program."
He was also ordered to stay at least 50 yards away from Rihanna, with the restraint reduced to ten yards at music industry and public events.
A police search warrant obtained by People earlier this year revealed Brown's attack on Rihanna occurred after she read text messages from another women on Brown's mobile phone.