Unhappy that his mistress of almost two years had taken another lover, a married businessman ordered his rival to be attacked, leaving the victim with a scar that is likely to be permanent.
For ordering the attack, Lim Hong Liang, 55, was yesterday sentenced to six years' jail.
Following a 10-day trial, District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt convicted him on April 2 of taking part in a seven-person conspiracy to cause grievous hurt to banquet waiter Joshua Koh Kian Yong, 35.
The judge also found a middleman linked to the attack - mover Ong Hock Chye, 48 - guilty of a similar offence. He was sentenced to 51/2 years' jail and six strokes of the cane.
Lim, a married man with three children, was smitten with Ms Audrey Chen Ying Fang, 27, after they met in 2014. She won the Miss Mermaid beauty pageant two years later.
He gave her a job at SNL Logistics, the Singapore-based firm he owns, as an administrative executive, for which she was paid about $2,000 a month. However, the court heard that she did not have to turn up for work.
Lim lavished gifts on her. A Mercedes-Benz he gave her carried the plate "1991", her birth year. She also used his credit cards to pay for her needs. He also allowed her to live rent-free in a unit he owned at The Parc condominium in West Coast Walk, renovating it to her preferred Hello Kitty theme.
In their submissions, deputy public prosecutors Tan Wen Hsien and Stephanie Koh said: "In return, Lim expected her to be faithful to him, and not to 'fool around outside'."
But in March 2016, Ms Chen started dating Mr Koh and announced their relationship on social media, and Lim found out.
On April 8, Lim's older son, whose name was not stated in court papers, and his nephew Ron Lim De Mai, 26, turned up at the condo. Ron Lim rained blows on Mr Koh, fracturing his nose.
According to court documents, Lim wanted his nephew to "teach Joshua a lesson" and it was Ron Lim who later roped in Ong to recruit others to carry out the task. Lim paid $5,000 to the hitmen to scar Mr Koh.
On April 30, 2016, Ms Chen and Mr Koh were having supper at Huay Kwang Thai Kitchen in Townshend Road near Little India when he was ambushed by a group of men. He was punched in the head, and as he tried to run, was slashed with a penknife on his arm and face.
The slasher - Nur Muhammad Irwan Mohd Ngat, 30 - and the others involved in the attack have been dealt with in court.
Yesterday, the court heard that Lim and Ong intend to appeal against Judge Chay's decisions. Lim was offered bail of $10,000 while Ong's bail was set at $30,000.
