SINGAPORE - A 32-year-old man pulled the hair of his pregnant wife outside a nightclub last year, stopping only when passers-by came to help her.

When a policeman tried to calm him down, he also repeatedly shouted expletives at the officer.

On Tuesday (March 1), Vinoth Tirunakkarasu was fined $3,500 after he pleaded guilty to three charges - causing hurt, behaving in a disorderly manner in a public place, and using abusive words against a public servant.

He admitted to another count of causing hurt and a charge of criminal intimidation, which were considered in sentencing.

A district court heard that Vinoth met his wife and his childhood friends at Club Checkmate at Rendezvous Hotel at about 11.30pm on May 31 last year.

After they left the club at about 2.10am the next day, he quarrelled with his wife, who was seven months pregnant with their first child. He pulled her hair, but was stopped by passers-by.

When policemen arrived at about 2.20am, they saw him screaming at the top of his voice and waving his hands aggressively.

A staff sergeant asked him to cool down, but he repeatedly shouted "F*** you" at the 32-year-old policeman.

Six months before the incident, he also sat on his wife's abdomen at their home and dragged her on the floor by pulling her hair. At about the same time, he also pointed a knife at her and threatened to injure her.

In mitigation, Vinoth told the court that his wife had forgiven him. He also asked for permission to apologise to his wife and son in court.

"I'm very sorry for what I've done. I promise that I won't do it again," he said to his wife, who accepted the apology.

In passing sentence, District Judge Salina Ishak said: "I hope you get help for your anger management issues. And I hope you keep to your promise not to do this again."

For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have been jailed for two years and fined $5,000.

For behaving in a disorderly manner in public, he could have been jailed for six months and fined $2,000.

For using abusive words against a public servant, he could have been jailed for a year and fined $5,000.