TWO men who were introduced by a friend early this year became so close that one of them handed the other a set of keys to his flat, allowing him to stay over.

But when things soured between them, flat owner Lim Ah Choon, 51, changed the padlocks to the unit in the hopes of locking out his unemployed friend Mr Koh Lian Guan, 52, for good.

Unbeknownst to him, Mr Koh had other ideas.

On July 2, 2008, Mr Koh brought a locksmith to Lim's flat at Block 155 Meiling Street to break open the new padlock put in place.

Lim, who was home at the time, heard sounds outside his flat and opened the door to find the locksmith at work.

Explaining that he was the flat owner, the locksmith promptly left, and a dispute between Lim and Mr Koh broke out.

When Mr Koh refused to leave, Lim threatened to attack him with a knife and grabbed a bread knife with a 20cm-long blade from the kitchen.

He then opened the gate and attacked Mr Koh with the knife, slashing him on the neck and head.

On Wednesday, Lim was sentenced to four months' jail in a district court for hurting Mr Koh.

He could been sentenced to the maximum of two years' jail and fined $5,000.

The court heard that both men struggled with each other at the common corridor outside Lim's flat during the attack.

Lim slashed Mr Koh being punched on the nose.

Lim offered to call an ambulance when he saw his friend bleeding, but Mr Koh told him that he did not want the police to be involved.

Lim then gave him cotton wool and allowed him into his flat.

A neighbour who had heard the commotion called the police, who arrived to find Lim cleaning blood from the floor and walls of the common corridor.

He was then arrested while Mr Koh was then sent to Alexandra Hospital for treatment.