A warehouse assistant who used a penknife to slash his colleague on his neck and arm in a work-related dispute, was sentenced to 16 months' jail yesterday.

Wang Fuguo, 40, from China, had pleaded guilty last week to causing hurt to Mr Wang Dayu, 31, with the 7cm-long penknife at Cellini Design Center in Changi North Crescent, at about 8am on Oct 21 last year.

Investigations showed that the victim, also from China, was told by his supervisor on Oct 20 that the two men were to report for work an hour earlier the next day at 7.30am.

The victim told Wang that evening, but was unsure if Wang heard him.

At about 7.45am the next day, Wang argued with the victim, claiming he was not told to be at work at 7.30am.

About 15 minutes later, while arguing again, Wang took the penknife from his trouser pocket and swung it at the victim a few times, slashing him in the left side of his neck and his right arm.

Co-workers separated them, but by then the victim had suffered serious cuts to nerves in his neck and left external jugular vein. He also had a cut on his right forearm.

A broken, rusted piece of the penknife blade was found embedded in his neck.

He was warded at Changi General Hospital for four days and given hospitalisation leave for a month.

Wang, who has a daughter, could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment for causing hurt with a weapon of offence.

His sentence was backdated to Oct 22 last year.