Brit Award winner Finley Quaye has been ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for punching a bar manager and threatening to stab him during an unprovoked drunken attack following a gig.
The singer, best known for his album Maverick A Strike in the late 1990s, assaulted Robert Jenei outside Troubadour on the Old Brompton Road, west London, in the early hours of September 8.
Scotland-born Quaye, 45, of Earls Court in London, had been performing at the bar and drinking there throughout the evening.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that Quaye had asked bar manager Mr Jenei to search for a female companion’s handbag after the pair had left the venue at around 1.30am.
But after looking for the bag Mr Jenei returned to find Quaye visibly angry and making threats to security staff, before punching the victim in the face.
The court heard Quaye then kicked a BMW belonging to security staff before shouting abuse at staff and punters including “I will stab you lot in the kidney” and “I will stab you in the windpipe”.
When quizzed by police the next day Quaye said he had drunk a lot of alcohol on an empty stomach and did not remember punching Mr Jenei.
Quaye pleaded guilty to a charge of assault at a hearing on October 7.
At Quaye’s sentencing on Monday, Shahnaz Sargent, defending, said Quaye had been given a supply of free alcohol as one of the perks of performing at the bar.
She added that he had not drunk much water and had not eaten anything all day because he suffers from celiac disease.
The court heard Quaye has a string of convictions for offences including battery and public disorder dating back to 2012.
Ms Sargent said: “[Quaye] has made a determined effort to address his problems with alcohol and drugs.”
She said he had been attending addiction services, adding: “He’s very sorry for the way he behaved towards Mr Jenei.”
Sentencing him to 200 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation order, Judge Michael Snow said: “What makes this offence serious is the level of culpability involved – before the punch you made considerable threats that would have caused significant fear, then you punched this man in the face.”
He was also ordered to pay costs and a fine totalling £525 – the court heard Quaye is on benefits and offered to pay the sum at the rate of £15 a week.
When asked if he had any work coming up he replied: “No, not for lack of trying.”
Judge Snow said: “If you go around thumping managers in the face, I don’t suppose you are going to get much work.”