A magazine editor went to an office Christmas party only to wake up in a police lock-up for spitting at a police officer and behaving in a disorderly manner. Forgan Duncan, a 35-year-old Briton, fined the maximum amount of $10,000 on Thursday.

A district court heard that two policemen checked on Duncan, who was lying down along Spottiswoode Park Road in Tanjong Pagar at 1am on Dec 19 last year. He persisted in abusing the officers and was arrested. After being handcuffed, he spat at the face of Sergeant Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, 27.

When he pleaded guilty earlier this month, Deputy Public Prosecutor Norman Yew argued that the Briton should be jailed to deter like-minded offenders. Arguing for a fine to be imposed, defence counsel Terence Tan said that Duncan got drunk at his company's Christmas party at Tanjong Beach Club in Sentosa on the evening of Dec 18.

Colleagues had put him in a taxi but he turned down their requests to accompany him home and he never made it to his door step. He lives in Spottiswoode Park Road. Mr Tan said that Duncan, who was not a frequent drinker, could not remember the events of the incident. He could have been jailed for up to four years, or to both.