Dappy, the rapper from N-Dubz, was handed a suspended sentence on Friday for assault and affray over a late-night brawl at a petrol station in Guildford.
The 25-year-old hip-hop musician, real name Costadinos Contostavlos, burst into tears and shouted “Yes!” as he was given the six-month sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to perform 150 hours’ community service.
He must also pay £4,500 compensation and £2,000 in costs, but escaped the maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment for the offences.
At his trial last month, the court heard Dappy became angry and violent during the early-hours encounter on February 27, 2012 after two 19-year-old women at the Shell garage refused to join him in his car to go to a party and labelled him “boring”.
The court found Dappy spat at a man who stepped in to defend the women, sparking the brawl which ended with three people suffering injuries including a broken nose and teeth.
He had spent the earlier part of the evening in the VIP area of the Casino nightclub in Guildford, drinking sambuca shots and Jack Daniels whiskey in honour of the release of his single Rockstar, featuring Queen guitarist Brian May.
The rapper has previous convictions including for possessing a bladed weapon in a public place and battery.
Dappy’s lawyer, Paul Greaney, had fought for him to avoid a jail term on the grounds that it would end his career and prevent him providing for relatives.
He added that Dappy had “learnt a very important lesson indeed and he has shown real insight into the impact on his victims of his behaviour that night”.
He noted that Dappy had recently intervened on Twitter after his fans began insulting the two women.
“This defendant, on that conduct being apparent to him, went on his own Twitter account to post a message to make it clear that he deplored this behaviour and that no fan or associate of his should indulge in that conduct and that did have a real effect and did help bring it to an end,” he said.
N-Dubz was formed in 2000 by Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Richard Rawson, known as Fazer, and hit the charts in 2007.
Tulisa and Dappy have been working on solo albums but said they expected the trio to reunite in 2013.
N-Dubz rapper Dappy avoids jail over brawl
