Carpenter Zhang Yuancan, 36, earlier admitted to causing hurt to Ms Wu Yan Li, 25, with the weapon at Lorong 15 Geylang on Oct 30 last year.

A district court heard that Ms Wu saw Zhang having a dispute with an unknown woman and people crowding round them in a bid stop the fight. She went forward to persuade them to stop squabbling.

Shortly after, both Zhang and the unknown woman left but Zhang returned about 10 minutes later and attacked Ms Wu with a saw.

He fled but the victim managed to stop him near a fruit stall where he further attacked her. A passer-by came to her rescue and snatched the saw from the man.

Ms Wu had cuts on both arms and superficial cuts on her breast, abdomen and elbow.

District Judge Jasbendar Kaur said the attack was totally unwarranted and vicious. She said even if she were to accept that he was attacked by four women, it was quite clear that the women were not using weapons.

Zhang said he suffered a head concussion in 2002 and underwent an operation. Since then he had been having migraines. He asked to be examined by the prison doctor to certify if he was fit for caning.

The judge told him to raise his problems with the prison authorities. She said if he was found not unfit to be caned, his case would be referred back to court.

Zhang could have been jailed for up to seven years, or fined or caned or received a combination of the punishments.