Brit winner Finley Quaye sentenced for bar manager attack

Finley Quaye was named Best British Male Solo Artist at the 1998 Brit Awards

A Brit Award-winning musician 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.

Finley Quaye, 45, assaulted Robert Jenei outside Troubadour on the Old Brompton Road, west London, in the early hours of September 8.

Edinburgh-born Quaye, of Earls Court, London had been performing at the bar and drinking there all night.

The court heard he had offended before.

Westminster Magistrates' Court was told Quaye had asked bar manager Mr Jenei to search for a female companion's handbag after the pair left the venue at around 01:30 BST.

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.

He then kicked a BMW belonging to security staff and shouted abuse saying "I will stab you lot in the kidney" and "I will stab you in the windpipe".

Quaye pleaded guilty to a charge of assault at a hearing on 7 October.

'Very sorry'

His solicitor, Shahnaz Sargent, said Quaye had been given a supply of free alcohol as one of the perks of performing at the bar.

The court heard he had a string of convictions for offences including battery and public disorder dating back to 2012.

Ms Sargent said he had been attending addiction services for alcohol and drugs, adding: "He's very sorry for the way he behaved towards Mr Jenei."

As well as the community order, he was also ordered to pay costs and a fine totalling £525.

The singer was best known for his album Maverick A Strike in the late 1990s.

He told the judge he was not working and would be paying his fine from benefits at £15 per week.

Judge Michael Snow said: "If you go around thumping managers in the face, I don't suppose you are going to get much work."