A judge has ended Chris Brown's felony probation in an assault case over his 2009 attack on pop singer Rihanna. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James R Brandlin said Friday that the R&B singer had completed the terms of his sentence, which included community labor, domestic violence counseling and rehab. The relief was palpable on the face of the singer, who turned up in court with purple hair wearing a suit jacket over a t-shirt. Scroll down for video . Free man: Chris Brown's relief is palpable on Friday as a Los Angeles court judge finally releases him from probation stemming from his 2009 assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna . Brown has been subject to scrutiny by court and probation officials after pleading guilty to attacking Rihanna, his girlfriend at the time, hours before the 2009 Grammy Awards. The attack destroyed Brown's squeaky clean image and he has in recent years struggled to end the case. Brown spent two-and-a-half months in jail after he was arrested for hitting a man outside a Washington hotel in October 2013. Rihanna and Brown rekindled their relationship after a restraining order in the case was lifted, but have since broken up. Satisfied: Superior Court Judge James R Brandlin decreed the 25-year-old had completed the terms of his sentence, which included community labor, domestic violence counseling and rehab . Casual: The singer arrived in court with purple hair, wearing a suit jacket but skipping the shirt or tie . On again: Brown and Rihanna, seen here at the 2013 Grammys, had rekindled their relationship for a time despite the assault four years earlier that left her face battered and cut . The judge's decision came as a surprise to many, who believed he was actually going to revoke Brown's probation and throw him back in jail after a damning report by the probation department. TMZ had reported right before the hearing that his probation officer had pulled a u-turn and was supplying the court with a favourable report, claiming that it was 'all but certain' his the judge would  reinstated. But Brown's full release seemed to catch everybody off guard. His probation had been revoked in January after officials cited a number of red flags he had recently raised. While he wasn't a suspect in either, Brown was present at two recent shooting incidents; One in San Jose, the other in Hollywood in which rap mogul Suge Knight was shot. Shock: The decision came as a surprise to many, who expected at the very least that the singer's probation would be reinstated . Turnabout: Some analysts expected Brown would actually be imprisoned for his probation violations . In the most recent incident, Brown was actually performing on stage at a nightclub in the early hours of January 11 when a number of shots were fired, causing widespread panic. Five people were wounded, but the singer escaped uninjured. His appearance in San Jose was in itself a violation of his probation, since he is supposed to get permission before he leaves LA County. The second shooting indecent occurred at 10AK nightclub in August at a pre-MTV Video Music Awards party hosted by Brown, where three people were shot and wounded, including Knight, who himself is currently being held on murder charges for an unrelated incident. Scott free: Although he wasn't implicated in either, Brown was present at two recent shooting incidents in California . Why me? : The singer was performing on stage in San Jose - having left the country without permission from his probation officer - when five people were shot, while Suge Knight was also shot at a separate party he hosted . WWJD? : Brown asked and then thanked God on Twitter for his escape . Although Brown was never implicated in either shooting, his probation report notes that 'There is also concern that when he performs or attends at some of his public events, people will get shot or seriously injured'. The musician's probation had been revoked on a number of previous occasions. In July 2013 he was involved in a hit-and-run in Los Angeles, but the charges were dropped before he found out if he would have to go to jail under the terms of his probation. Red flags: The musician, seen here performing this week at the Hampton Colliseum in Virginia, has had his probation revoked several of times for a number of different incidents . Brown, seen here remanded in custody while he awaited to hear his fate following his assault on a man outside a hotel in Washington, which reportedly occurred when a photobombing incident spiraled out of hand . In October of that year he was involved in a fight with two men outside the W Hotel in Washington and his parole was again revoked, but again he escaped a prison sentence when the judge ruled his progress in anger management classes was enough to offset it. But when he was kicked out of rehab - another violation of his probation rules - he was finally sent to jail in March of last year, but released early in June due to prison overcrowding . KTLA reporter Christina Pacucci, who was outside the courtroom, tweeted 'I asked @chrisrown how it feels to be done. He said with a huge smile- "two thumbs up". Having tweeted earlier in the day 'Hopefully this is my last day in court... pray for me', Brown then tweeted: 'IM OFF PROBATION!!!!!!!! Thank the Lord!!!!!!' Battered: Rihanna in 2009, waiting to hear if her former boyfriend Brown would stand trial for assaulting her .
Brown physically assaulted then-girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards, leaving her hospitalised . Avoided jail but was placed on five-year probation . Was arrested and breached probation on several occasions but was only jailed in March 2014 after being kicked out of rehab . Superior Court ruled on Friday the singer had completed his sentence and is now a free man .