HE remained at large after a fatal attack on a rival gang member and in his absence, was fingered by his accomplices as the mastermind who directed the action while away from the scene.

But on Tuesday, the lawyer acting for Nur Rizal Mohamed Zainul, 29, refuted these allegations that his client was the ringleader.

Mr Edmond Pereira also argued that Nur Rizal was not armed and did not take part in the actual attack on technician Zainal Nek in Central Square in September 2006.

He also pointed out that his client did not flee but had travelled between Singapore and Malaysia up till April 2007.

In the end, Nur Rizal was jailed for eight years and ordered to be caned 10 strokes for the killing - a lighter sentence than what most of his accomplices got when they were sentenced in 2007.

However, he will have to serve one more year in jail and get another six strokes of the cane for an unrelated attack in April 2007 in which he whipped out a knife to slash a man for badmouthing his girlfriend.

After this second offence, Nur Rizal left for Malaysia and stayed there until he was arrested by Malaysian police in April last year.

Also sentenced for his role in the Central Square attack was Muhammad Zulkahil Johari, 23, who was jailed nine years and ordered to be caned 10 times.

He had pleaded for leniency, saying that he was only 19 years at the time, but Deputy Public Prosecutor Sellakumaran argued that Zulkahil had knifed Mr Zainal four to five times while the victim was on the ground.

In September 2007, six assailants were given sentences ranging from seven years' jail and six strokes of the cane to 10 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane.