A CHART-topping musician has received a six-month suspended jail sentence after being found with a lock knife at a Southampton police station.

Dennis Gordon, who wrote and sang Sambuca with the Wideboys, which hit number one in the commercial and dance charts, had been arrested outside Junk nightclub in London Road.

The Southampton-born and educated musician, known as Dennis G, was ejected after a woman complained of his behaviour.

Tim Dracass, prosecuting at the city crown court, said that Gordon remained threatening and abusive to staff outside.

Police were called and when Gordon was searched at the police station, the knife dropped on to the floor from inside his trousers.

Gordon, 27, of Croydon Close, Lordshill, admitted possessing a bladed article and was also placed under supervision for 12 months.

Khalid Missouri, defending, said that as a youth, Gordon had been taunted because of his colour.

Mr Missouri described Gordon as a church-going man who had played clarinet for the Hampshire Youth Orchestra and represented England at basketball at under-16 level.

He explained that on the night the incident occurred, Gordon wanted to speak to the manager and get back his £75 for some champagne he had purchased.

Mr Missouri added that the knife was not his client’s but that he had found it at the club and had kept it.

“He is a decent young man of good character and heavily disputes he did anything towards the woman in the club,” said Mr Missuori. “He picked up the knife at the scene. It was a stupid thing to have done and to have held on to it but he did not brandish it.”

Gordon, he added, had just produced an album and had hoped to promote it in America but might be barred from entering because of his conviction.

Passing sentence, Judge Patrick Hooton said that if he had taken the knife into the club, he would have gone straight to prison.