SINGAPORE - A teenager poured a kettle of hot water on her flat mate for not doing the household chores to her satisfaction.

On three occasions, Chinese national Long Yan also ordered her compatriot to strip naked, snapped pictures, and threatened to circulate them if the victim would not listen.

On Monday, Long, 17, admitted to criminally intimidating and hurting her victim, who was left with first degree burn injuries on her shoulders and back.

The court heard the girls were then both 16 and classmates at a private school here.

They were alone at home on June 7 last year, as five other housemates at the flat in Toh Tuck Road had returned home to China.

Around 9pm, on Long's instructions, the victim did chores such as sweeping and mopping the floor. Unhappy with the work done, Long scolded and hit the victim with her mobile phone.

She then told her to boil some water and say when it was ready. The victim did as asked, but Long then took the kettle and poured its contents over her.

Long also took the nude photographs and threatened her victim on that same day, and each of the two previous days. She had committed the abuse generally on the basis that the victim was not doing various household chores satisfactorily, the court heard.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said Long's offences were serious. But the judge called for a pre-sentence report to determine Long's suitability for probation, in light of her age. Sentence will be passed on Jan 19.

Noting that Long's guardian is in Singapore and will be able to supervise her, Deputy Public Prosecutor Fong Jing Heng did not object to the court's decision.

The maximum penalty for voluntarily causing hurt with a heated substance is seven years in jail, a fine and caning. Criminal intimidation carries up to ten years in jail and a fine, if the threat is to impute unchastity to a woman.