A delivery driver was jailed for four months on Thursday for attacking his ex-lover who tried to break off with him.

Jiang Xiaolong, 37, pleaded guilty to punching Ms Zhang Hong, 44, on her lower cheek, grabbing her neck, hitting her head and stepping on her chest at the staircase landing of an HDB block at Jurong West Street 65 on Oct 14 last year.

The court heard that they had met online, and entered into a relationship. Both are Chinese nationals and married.

Later, when the victim, a housewife, tried to break up with him, he refused.

On Oct 14, the victim was returning home and had stepped out of the lift on the 11th floor when Jiang came and grabbed her by the hair and punched her. He held onto her neck and told her to take the lift down, but she wanted to take the stairs instead, as she knew a family living on the third floor.

As they were on the ninth floor, she heard the sound of a gate being opened and started to shout for help in Mandarin. Jiang then grabbed her by the neck, causing her to fall backwards onto the stairs. He also stepped on her chest and she pushed his leg away, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Rachel Ng.

He pulled her up and tried to punch her on the face. She managed to dodge but fell. Jiang then stepped on her arms.

He pulled her up again, and they continued down the stairs. On the fourth floor, she saw that a door to one of the units was open. She then bit Jiang on her upper arm, and ran towards the unit, shouting for help in Mandarin. The witness, a Myanmar national, could not understand what she was saying. When Jiang came and tried to pull her away, she held onto the metal gate and said: "call police''. The witness called the police and Jiang quickly left.

Ms Zhang was hospitalised for three days for her injuries and was given hospitalisation leave until Nov 1.

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