A 67-year-old rag-and-bone man was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for murdering a coffee shop assistant in 2016.

Toh Sia Guan was found guilty by the High Court last month of causing the death of 52-year-old Goh Eng Thiam by stabbing him with a knife. The incident happened on the morning of July 9, 2016.

Toh had stopped his bicycle outside the coffee shop in Lorong 23 Geylang, where Mr Goh was eating breakfast. When Toh asked if Mr Goh was selling Chinese medicine, the coffee shop assistant swore at him and retorted along the lines of "Do I look like a drug peddler?".

Both men then got into a fight, before Toh left for a shop and bought a knife. He returned and charged at Mr Goh, sparking another fight.

Mr Goh was stabbed in multiple places on his upper body, including his right upper arm. He also had injuries to his face and fingers.

After trading blows with Mr Goh for about two minutes, Toh fled.

Court documents state Mr Goh lay down on the road and rested his head on the kerb. He was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

An autopsy report showed he bled to death from the stab wound to his right upper arm which cut across a major blood vessel.

Toh was arrested at Labrador Park MRT station 12 days later.

On Aug 6 last year, he went on trial in the High Court. Justice Aedit Abdullah found Toh guilty of murder on Feb 12 this year.

The judge noted there was only circumstantial evidence to show Toh inflicted the fatal injury and what his state of mind was, as there was no witness to the actual stabbing or any other evidence that directly implicated him. But he concluded there was an "irresistible inference" that the fatal injury was caused intentionally by Toh.

In sentencing him yesterday, Justice Aedit noted the circumstances of the case did not warrant capital punishment. When Toh asked the judge if he was allowed to appeal, he replied "yes".