A DISPUTE over a woman's clothes, which were meant for safekeeping but were instead thrown away, ended up with a man being slashed in his abdomen.

The woman, Ms Sugasni Raman, 24, had gone with her boyfriend, Mr Pannerselvam Kuppusamy, 30, to her friend's house to ask about the clothes on Sept 9, a district court heard.

At the Toa Payoh Lorong 5 flat, they were received by the friend's distant uncle, Sri Lankan national Sinnathamby Thevaraiah.

Thevaraiah, who turned 50 in May, told them that the clothes had been thrown away, sparking a shouting match.

The argument became so heated that Thevaraiah reached for a retractable wire cutter from a nearby altar in the house and slashed Mr Kuppusamy in his abdomen.

He was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, bleeding from a 35cm-long gash. Thevaraiah was later arrested at the flat.

District Judge Jill Tan on Monday sentenced Thevaraiah to 11 months' jail and fined him $4,000 for hurting Mr Kuppusamy with the weapon, as well as for staying illegally in Singapore.

The court heard that Thevaraiah had previously worked here as a freelance electrician and plumber. He remained here even after his special pass expired in December 2003.

In mitigation, Thevaraiah said that Mr Kuppusamy had initiated the assault by hitting his neck with his hand.

He added: 'The victim was aggresive, drunk and also called me an effeminite man on three occasions.'

Thevaraiah escaped caning as he is over 50 years old.