FINLEY Quaye, the Edinburgh-born singer and composer, was yesterday ordered to attend a domestic violence programme after attacking a former girlfriend in front of their four-year-old son and assaulting another woman in the chest with a martial arts-style kick.

The court heard the soul and reggae star had been in an ''angry and emotional mood'' when he assaulted Mercedes Gutierrez, the boy's mother, and Kay Stratton, her friend, outside his London home in April.

However after being told he would have to attend a domestic violence therapy group for the next six months, 29-year-old Quaye said: ''It's the women who need the anger management, not me. I'm deeply concerned about my son. But I'm sorry about what I did.''

Earlier, dressed in a grey suit, Quaye was threatened with jail after his mobile phone rang as he stood in the dock waiting to be sentenced.

Dorothy Quick, district judge at Highbury Magistrates Court, said: ''In my view that is contempt of court. You should answer it and tell them you are in a court that is about to send you to prison for six months.''

The son of Cab Quaye, the jazz composer, Quaye, a Brit Award winner in 1998 for best male artist, was raised in Scotland and in Manchester after his mother's death from a heroin overdose when he was 10. He rose to fame with the release of his debut album Maverick A Strike in 1997.

The court heard Ms Gutierrez had been walking home from school with their child, Ms Stratton and her child in Hampstead when they decided to visit Quaye. However the accused, who was briefly engaged to the late Paula Yates, the TV presenter, three years ago, had been in business negotiations and was ''agitated''.

Edmund Hall, prosecutor, said a scuffle erupted between Quaye, who had a ''violent relationship'' with his ex-girlfriend, and the other women on the street.

Mr Hall said: ''On April 7 Ms Gutierrez, who is Mr Quaye's former partner and mother of his son, called him at his home to see if he wanted to see their child.

''He was not in a particularly good mood due to a business telephone conversation. An argument escalated at the door during the course of which he took hold of Ms Gutierrez wrists with some considerable force causing bruising to the wrists.

''Then he pushed her, causing her to fall. Ms Kay Stratton tried to intervene and Mr Quaye kicked Ms Stratton in the chest causing her bruising and to lose her footing. He was taken to Holborn Police Station where he admitted grabbing hold of Ms Gutierrez and pushing her and kicking Ms Stratton.''

Mr Hall added: ''He said this was due to pressure from work and accepted he was emotional and aggressive because of this.''

In mitigation, Rob Johnson, defending, said Quaye was ''full of remorse'' for his actions and had signed up on a weekly anger management course.

''Frustration was the issue because he had not seen his son for eight months. Now he has access rights.''

Quaye, of Perrins Court, Hampstead, who has previous convictions for theft and possession of cannabis, had earlier this month admitted two counts of common assault.

Despite the earlier prison threat, the district judge, after reading pre-sentence reports, ordered Quaye to pay (pounds) 300 to each of the woman in compensation, (pounds) 50 court costs and attend a 26-week domestic violence programme.

The judge said: ''This was a dreadful assault which took place in front of a child. Your child would have seen his mother's reaction and would have been extremely distressed by it. Domestic violence witnessed by children terrifies them. You have a terrible temper.''

In the past Quaye, who has two children from separate relationships, has admitted battling a problem with drink and drugs which led to a short spell in the Priory Clinic in London. The mother of his first child won (pounds) 260,000 towards the upkeep of their son.