Drunken tiff at cricket match leads to downfall of race chief

Chairman of CRE tried to headbutt police officer after drinking wine at event hosted by airline in race-bias investigation

First up in court was a woman charged with prostitution, then an alleged ecstasy dealer, and then, in his pin-striped suit and accompanied by a Queen's Counsel, the chairman for the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE).

A note slipped to Gurbux Singh by a supporter after he had left the dock in Court One of Bow Street magistrates' court yesterday said it all: "A tough day!" But it was more than that; it was excruciating. It was the day of reckoning for a rash, drunken episode that had seen Singh swear and threaten two policemen during a fracas at Lord's cricket ground last month.

By the end of the day, Singh, 51, had resigned with a £115,000 pay-off and had been fined £500 for threatening behaviour. The court was given an embarrassing account of him raising his fists and trying to headbutt a police officer after pompously asking "do you know who I am?" and threatening to have him sacked by his friend "Blair"; not Tony, but Ian, the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Last night, Singh expressed "deep regret" over the incident. But it was clear that his reputation was in ruins and, more crucially, his relationship with the police had been damaged.

Singh, who has three children, had been a member of the CRE since its inception. He arrived in Britain from Punjab in 1956 and his parents settled in Wolverhampton. In 1972, he became a housing specialist with the former Community Relations Commission and then worked in local government in the 1980s, becoming chief executive of Haringey Council, the first Asian to be appointed to such a high-level post in London.

Singh's managerial role at the authority was publicly scrutinised during the inquiry into death of Victoria Climbie. The conclusions of the inquiry are yet to be published.

Yet his fall was rapid and ignominious. It began on 13 July when India beat England in a one-day cricket match.

Deborah Walsh, for the prosecution, told District Judge Nicholas Evans that Singh had consumed more than seven glasses of wine during the day.

On leaving the ground, Singh bumped into a police officer and then became abusive and threatening. His wife, Siobhan Maguire, 40, apologised to the officer but Singh continued to swear, shouting at the policeman: "F*** you! Do you know who I am? I'll have your job. Blair is going to hear about this. You're in trouble now." Ms Walsh said two men from the crowd held back Singh as he continued to shout and wave his arms. Ms Walsh said one of the police officers, PC Hambleton, "honestly believed that if these men had not held held him back, [Singh] would have assaulted him".

After being handcuffed, Ms Walsh said, Singh shouted "I will f***ing have you" and tried to headbutt one of the officers. He then went deliberately limp so the officers had to drag him.

Singh pleaded guilty to the charge and sat impassively as the account of his behaviour was read out. In mitigation, his counsel, William Boyce QC, said Singh had insisted on writing a letter of apology to PC Hambleton after the incident, even though he knew the gesture would make it easier for the Crown Prosecution Service to build a case against him.

"The defendant accepts he did swear and was moving his hands in a rather animated way but not deliberately in a clenched fist," Mr Boyce said. "We accept that had he not been drunk that day he would have been aware that his language and hand movements were inappropriate and that they could lead a person to believe that there could be trouble.

"He is sorry to have slipped momentarily from setting an example to others at all levels. He deeply feels that he has let himself down and others."

Mr Boyce produced 40 pages of testimonials in support of Singh, asking Judge Evans to hand down only a conditional discharge.

But the judge was unimpressed. Imposing a £500 fine and £55 costs, he said: "This was disgraceful behaviour over a long period of time."

After the hearing, Singh issued a statement that said: "I have today stepped down as chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality. I have decided to do so in order that a line can be drawn under recent events. I also believe this to be in the best interests of both the CRE and race relations in general."

He added: "I deeply regret this entire incident and now wish to put it behind me. I hope that the media will respect this and allow both myself and my family some privacy."

Lord Filkin, a Home Office minister, accepted Singh's resignation, saying: "I am very sorry to see Gurbux Singh stand down as chairman of the CRE. We both agree that this is the best way to draw a line under recent events and to ensure that the commission is able to get on with its important programme of work on race equality without distraction."

The man who slipped the note of support to Singh in court was the Conservative MP Peter Bottomley. He said: "Gurbux Singh has set an example to people in public life. He acknowledged what he had done wrong, even though this made prosecution inevitable. That is the sign of a good and big-hearted man."

Beverley Bernard, deputy chairman of the CRE, said: "Under Gurbux's leadership the past two years have seen a major change in racial equality.... His commitment and passion was evident in every task that he undertook as chairman of the CRE and we would like to wish him all the very best for the future."