Arrest warrant out as Finley Quaye fails to show at court

A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of city-born 
reggae star Finley Quaye after he failed to appear for sentencing at Edinburgh Sheriff 
Court.

The 38-year-old singer was due before Sheriff Fiona Reith QC yesterday, but when his name was called he did not show.

Defence solicitor David Patterson told the sheriff that Quaye had contacted his firm on Thursday evening asking them to represent him. Mr Patterson said he had not heard from Quaye since and could not explain his absence.

In July of this year, Quaye, who lives in London, pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated assault on a 36-year-old woman in Leith Walk on 
October 8 last year.

The court heard that about 10.30pm the woman was 
waiting at a bus stop when Quaye approached her and said: “Do you know that this country is a racist country?”

He then spat in the woman’s face and hit her on the head.

Sentence was deferred on Quaye for reports until August, but when he appeared his lawyer at that time, David Cairns, told Sheriff Reith that he had been put in an “awkward 
position” as Quaye had not paid his fees, so he was withdrawing from the case.

Sheriff Reith deferred sentence again until yesterday.

Quaye had a successful career in the 1990s and his debut album, Maverick A Strike, earned him the 1998 Brit Award for Best Male Solo Artist.

In 1997, he won the Mobo Award for the Best Reggae Act.