A recalcitrant offender was given his second stint of corrective training yesterday after slashing a drinking buddy with a penknife and causing permanent facial scarring.

Murthi Krishna, now 61, must spend six years behind bars after pleading guilty last month to one count of causing grievous hurt with a weapon and two drug-related charges.

Corrective training is a prison regime for repeat offenders without the usual one-third remission for good behaviour.

The jobless man has been in and out of jail for crimes such as theft and multiple drug offences.

He was sentenced to his first corrective training stint in 1983 and had to spend five years behind bars for causing hurt with a weapon.

On July 18 last year, Murthi went to Mr Saktivel Arumugam Kuppusamy's Redhill Close flat and the pair consumed alcohol there with two friends.

Murthi and Mr Saktivel, 60, got into a drunken dispute at around 8pm that day over some past issues, and they traded punches along the corridor.

Court documents did not reveal details of the issues that sparked the argument. During the scuffle, Murthi whipped out a penknife and slashed Mr Saktivel's face, chest and upper limbs.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Dillon Kok said: "The victim tried to escape from the accused by running towards the end of the corridor but the accused managed to catch up with him and continued slashing the victim, who collapsed onto the ground."

Murthi later fled the scene and the police were alerted.

An ambulance took Mr Saktivel to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where he was found with multiple wounds on his arms, chest and face.

"In a clarification report from SGH, it was opined that the facial injuries sustained by the victim are likely to result in permanent facial scarring," said APP Kok.

After the attack, the court heard that Murthi washed the blood from his hands and joined a separate group of friends for another drinking session.

He also threw away the penknife which has not been recovered.

Besides this, Murthi also admitted that he had failed to present himself at the Ang Mo Kio Police Divisional Headquarters for drug-related urine tests on July 14 and 17 last year.