SINGAPORE - A former air-conditioning technician, who threatened his girlfriend and ill-treated her seven-year-old daughter, was sentenced to three months and two weeks' jail on Thursday (May 5).

Aminnuddin Siregar Aminullah Siregar, 29, admitted to criminal intimidation on Jan 13 last year, and pinching the child on her left thigh, slapping her on the face and forcefully rubbing chilli on her mouth on Feb 10 the same year.

A district court heard that Aminnuddin, who has been living with his girlfriend, 32, was talking to the girl on Jan 12 last year when he felt that she was behaving disrespectfully towards him.

He suspected that his girlfriend's sister had instigated the girl to do so.

He told her to do half-squats for about 15 minutes and placed a lighted cigarette near her private parts for a few minutes.

The next day, when his girlfriend's sister told him that she intended to report him to the police, he became angry and told his girlfriend: "You all tell the police and before the police arrives, all of you will die by my hand."

Alarmed, his girlfriend went down to the void deck with the victim and her sisters immediately and called the police.

On Feb 10, Aminnuddin went to the girl's school to fetch her home. When her teacher told hi m that the girl had said that there was no one at home to guide her in her studies, he was unhappy with the girl.

While walking to his motorcycle, he pinched her on her thigh. When they arrived at the carpark below the flat, he slapped her hard on the left cheek. Outside the flat, he again slapped her.

The girlfriend, who was at home, told him that she intended to take her out for lunch but he forbade the girl from leaving.

He called the girl and he slapped her on the face. He then shouted at her to get chilli from the refrigerator and forcefully rubbed some on her lips, causing her pain.

On seeing this, his girlfriend left to report the matter to the police. Aminnuiddin continued to rub more chilli on the girl's lips until the police arrived.

The girl suffered, among other injuries, two swellings on her thigh and an abrasion on her scalp.

Aminnuddin, who had three other charges taken into consideration, said he was sorry for committing the offences. He said he had some misunderstanding with his girlfriend, now fiancee, who is three months pregnant.

District Judge Luke Tan said what he did to the child was cruel.

"Now you are going to be father, I hope you take the time to reflect on what you have done,'' he said. Aminnuddin's sentence was backdated to March 28.

He could have been jailed for up to two years and fined for criminal intimidation. For ill-treating the child, the maximum penalty is a $4,000 fine and four years' jail on each charge.