Quaye, 45, punched Robert Jenei in the face, attacked a car and snarled racist abuse after playing at London’s Troubadour on September 8
Troubled 90s pop star Finley Quaye has been spared jail for threatening to shoot a bar manager and ‘get a grenade’ after a gig.
Quaye, 45, punched Robert Jenei in the face, attacked a car and snarled racist abuse after playing at London’s Troubadour on September 8.
But the pop star was let off with 200 hours of unpaid work, a £525 fine and a 12-month rehabilitation requirement at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
District judge Michael Snow told Quaye, who wore a blue anorak and khaki trousers as he stood in the dock: ‘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.’
When asked if he had any work coming up, Edinburgh born Quaye replied: ‘No, not for lack of trying.’
The judge said: ‘If you go around thumping managers in the face I don’t suppose you are going to get much work.’
Quaye, who won the 1998 BRIT award for British male solo act, told the court he was on benefits and offered to pay the fine at the rate of £15-a-week.
Prosecutor Malachy Pakenham said: ‘At one o’clock in the morning the defendant was seen being verbally abusive and threatening towards the victim and security staff saying he was going to punch them in the face.
‘He then punched him in the face causing bruising to the left eye and kicked a car and broke off a wing mirror.
But the pop star was let off with 200 hours of unpaid work, a £525 fine and a 12-month rehabilitation requirement at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today
‘He was heard saying ‘When I get out I will f*** you up, not only will I shoot you, I will get a grenade.’
‘When told by the police to stop shouting and swearing he then said ‘you f****** n*****’.
When told to stop again he replied to an officer ‘I will stab you in the kidney, I will stab you in the windpipe.’
Quaye then carried on his outburst after he was arrested.
The manager had offered to look for a handbag belonging to a female friend of Quaye, but was unable to find it.
Quaye became angry and when he was asked to calm down he became even more angry and had to be held down on the floor.
Quaye, who won the 1998 BRIT award for British male solo act (pictured), told the court he was on benefits and offered to pay the fine at the rate of £15-a-week
He then picked up a bicycle and tried to throw it before going across the road and kicking a BMW.
In the police interview at Acton police station the next day he said he had not eaten properly since arriving at 4pm to rehearse for his show and couldn’t remember very much.
He described the manager as a diamond and said he had always had a good relationship with him, the court heard.
Mr Pakenham told the court Quaye has a total of 14 previous convictions related to alcohol.
Hit singles ‘Even after All’, ‘Sunday Shining’ and ‘Your Love Gets Sweeter’ shot Quaye to pop-chart fame in the late 90s.
Prosecutor Malachy Pakenham said: ‘When told by the police to stop shouting and swearing he then said ‘you f****** n*****.’ Pictured is Westminster Magistrates’ Court
His 1997 album Maverick a Strike went double platinum and in 1998 he won the Best British Male Solo Artist at the BRITs.
He was praised for his laid-back synergy of musical styles combining styles like roots reggae and trip-hop.
Quaye also has a notable musical heritage as son of composer Cab Kaye and half-brother of Elton John’s guitarist Caleb Quaye.
But recently bad behaviour has over-shadowed Quaye’s once bright career with a recent post-show drunken rampage at the Old Bakery in Truro, Cornwall.
The singer reportedly kicked in a B&B door and called guests ‘c***s’ on a post-show rampage after a show.
Quaye headbutted a terminally ill friend in a row over Game of Thrones and was convicted of assault in 2016.
He was also found guilty of aggravated assault in 2012 and admitted possession of cannabis in 2003.
He was also thrown off-stage by a promoter in 2015 after arriving on stage an hour late and delivering a lacklustre show.
Quaye, of Bolton Gardens, Earls Court, admitted assaulting Mr Jenei by beating.
He had been bailed ahead of sentence on condition he does not go to the Troubadour bar.