A jobless man was sentenced to five years' corrective training on Wednesday for a series of offences including housebreaking by night and criminal intimidation.

Henry Tan, 27, had pleaded guilty to four of seven charges.

A district court heard earlier that Tan went to Block 827, Woodlands Street 81 at about 11pm on June 18 last year. He walked past a unit and managed to unlock the aluminium grille using his own house keys.

He climbed in and removed two knives from the kitchen, and put them in a plastic bag.

One of the tenants was shocked to see him and hid herself in the toilet. The 19-year-old screamed for help.

A fellow tenant, Mr Lim Jiin Hwen, 26, came out of his room. When Tan saw him, Tan brandished the knife at him. He was cut while trying to disarm Tan during a scuffle. Tan released the knife and fled by climbing out of the window.

In November last year, Tan and an accomplice, Spencer Ang Han Boon, 24, posed as cops to get into a house at Lorong 30 Geylang. They checked Bangladeshi construction worker Mokter Hossian Lingcon Sirajiul Islam's work permit. When the 27-year-old saw tattoos on Tan's arms, he became suspicious and asked for Tan's police pass. Tan showed a Resorts World Casino card instead.

The worker recognised the card and confronted Tan. A dispute broke out, followed by a scuffle. Both Tan and his accomplice were locked in when they tried to escape.

When the police arrived, Ang managed to flee but Tan was detained. Police checked and found Mr Mokter Hossian's wallet, containing $226, on Tan.

Sergeant Khoo Kian Leng, 37, was escorting Tan to the police vehicle when Tan head-butted the cop on his face, causing him to suffer bruises in the left eye area.

Three other charges were taken into consideration.

Previously, Tan had been given corrective training - a regime for repeat offenders - for theft robbery with hurt and other offences. He was last convicted and jailed for unlicensed moneylending in 2012.

Ang's case is pending.