A university don who had a parking dispute with a security guard at his Bukit Timah condominium in September last year was yesterday fined $2,000 for having spat at the guard.

But Wang Jian Liang, an associate professor, was acquitted of a more serious charge of driving rashly and endangering the guard's life.

Had he been convicted of that, Wang, who teaches electrical and electronic engineering at Nanyamg Technological University, could have been jailed up to three months.

District Judge Shobha Nair, in giving her decision, said she had 'compelling reasons' to believe the testimony given by the security guard, Mr Mohamed Fadil Muhayat.

A resident of the condominium had testified during the trial that she saw Wang looking 'very angry' and scolding Mr Fadil in the carpark.

The judge noted that the resident had said categorically that the don spat, not on the ground, but at the security officer. This corroborated Mr Fadil's testimony that Wang had spat at him in the course of their dispute.

Judge Nair added that she was also not convinced by Wang's defence that Mr Fadil's uniform bore no saliva stains.

The argument arose when the university don, who conceded that he had left his car in one of the condominium's no-parking zones, saw the guard taking down his licence plate number.

Wang said he tried to reason with the guard that he had been gone only a short while - 'one or two minutes' - to return to his apartment to get his medicine before going to work.

But the security guard ignored him. Mr Fadil said Wang spat at him shortly after.

He also claimed that Wang next got into his car and drove in a 'stop-start' motion at him before the car touched the bicycle he was riding.

However, Judge Nair said she rejected the claim as the defence 'had raised a reasonable doubt'.

After the hearing yesterday, Wang appeared frustrated. He told reporters he was considering filing an appeal against the conviction.