SINGAPORE - A cleaner was sentenced to a week's jail on Wednesday (Aug 23) for assaulting an elderly man in a lift.

Chan Chun Teck, now 53, pleaded guilty to causing hurt to retiree Teo Hung Meng, 72, at Block 439, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.

The two men had not been on good terms even before this incident, the court heard.

At around 6pm on Aug 2 last year, Mr Teo and his wife were on their way home when they spotted Chan at the lift lobby.

Due to the bad blood between them, the older man decided to wait for another lift while his wife took an earlier one with Chan.

Mr Teo was going up in a later lift when it stopped at a higher floor and Chan entered with his bicycle.

While in the lift, Chan swung his bicycle handle and one of the wheels hit Mr Teo's leg.

When Mr Teo kicked it away, Chan retaliated by punching his face.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Claire Poh said: "The punches landed on the victim's right eye, left eye, upper left lip and left forehead. The accused had also hit the victim's right shoulder at least three times."

She said that Chan stopped only when a third man entered the lift and stepped in to stop the assault.

Mr Teo went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital the next day and he was found to have multiple bruises on his face, including one over each eye.

DPP Poh urged District Judge Eddy Tham to send Chan to jail, stressing that he had attacked a vulnerable victim.

She added: "The attack had taken place in the confines of the HDB lift of the victim's block. The victim had been trapped in a confined space and was unable to escape from the accused's attack."

Chan's lawyer, Mr Low Jianhui, who represented him pro bono, asked for his client to be fined $1,000.

He said that Chan was remorseful and had acted on the spur of the moment.

Chan was offered bail of $5,000 after the court granted his request to begin his sentence at a later date.

He will surrender himself at the State Courts on Aug 28.

For assaulting Mr Teo, he could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000.