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R&B singer Chris Brown has been sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days of community labor for his assault on his former girlfriend, R&B star Rhianna, after the Grammy awards in Los Angeles in February.

The 20 year old singer who has had hits with ‘Run It’ and ‘Forever’ was ordered to do physical labour, with the judge stating "I wanted to see actual physical labor as opposed to community service,”. Brown must also attend domestic violence counseling sessions and has also been ordered to stay at least 100 yards from Rhianna for the next five years. According to he judge said violation of the terms would be taken "very, very seriously".

Brown was arrested on 8 February after the dispute with the bajan beauty Rihanna in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. According to the BBC, court documents detailed how the two got into a fight after Rihanna found a text message from another woman on Brown's phone. According to reports, Brown was accused of trying to force the Umbrella singer out of their rented Lamborghini sports car, shoving her head against the passenger window and repeatedly punching her in the face.

In an interview with the probation office in preparation for his sentencing, the R&B singer told officers that he witnessed domestic violence in his own home while growing up and that he did not want to "carry on that cycle." According to the BBC he stated that he was "ashamed and embarrassed" about what he had done, and wanted to plead guilty immediately to the assault but his attorney would not let him.

Brown's career suffered after his arrest for the assault, with several sponsors, including Wrigley dropping him, and a number of radio stations refusing to play his music. Both Brown and Rihanna were forced to cancel several high-profile appearances after the incident, including planned performances at the Grammy Awards the day of the attack.

Written by Paida Fundira-Shava