SINGAPORE - A real estate agent who slashed a man on the face and chest with a knife back in 2011 was sentenced to four months' jail on Wednesday.

Lim Choon Keong, 41, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of causing hurt to contractor Yong Wei Keong, 31, beside the entrance of Holiday Inn Atrium at Outram Road on Oct 22, 2011.

A district court heard that Mr Yong, Mr Chow Keat Fong, 44, Mr Chow Kok Tong, 33, and Ms Ma Fongyan, 34, had just ended a drinking session at Holiday Inn Atrium at about 1am that day.

Lim, who drove to pick Ms Ma up, was waiting near the entrance of the hotel after parking his car nearby.

When Ms Ma came out, he approached her. Ms Ma, who is now his wife, was speaking to Lim when she fell accidentally.

Seeing Ms Ma on the floor, Mr Yong assumed that Lim had assaulted her and approached him.

Lim then took out an 8cm-long knife and slashed the victim on his face and chest.

The other two men went up to stop Lim. Mr Chow Keat Fong, who is self-employed, was slashed in the face by Lim.

After a struggle, Mr Chow Kok Tong, a contractor, managed to wrestle the knife away from Lim who later drove off in his car with Ms Ma.

Mr Yong, who had two cuts on his face and a superficial cut over his chest wall, was discharged from hospital two days later.

Lim, the court heard, prepared two cashiers orders for $2,000 each for Mr Yong and Mr Chow Keat Fong.

He was allowed to defer sentence until Feb 25. His bail was increased by another $10,000 to $25,000.

He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 for voluntarily causing hurt.