Singapore, May 7 (IANS): A Singapore court has sentenced a former Sri Lankan domestic help to 10 years in jail for killing her Indian lover.

Tharmalingam Puwaneswary, a Sri Lankan national, was found guilty of striking the head of Murugaiyan Selvam, an Indian-origin man, with a five-kg dumb-bell following an argument in the victim's house in December 2009, the Today newspaper reported Tuesday.

According the report, Selvam, a permanent resident of Singapore, would frequently pick up Puwaneswary, who was then working as a domestic help, from her employer's house for sexual encounters in a hotel or in his bedroom in his company's premises.

On that fateful night, an argument broke out between the two at Selvam's place after which he slapped Puwaneswary twice.

After Selvam fell asleep, Puwaneswary saw the dumb-bell outside the room and used it to strike his head twice and then hit his groin area with a sharp object.

Defence lawyers said the act was not premeditated and that Selvan had used the Sri Lankan woman for money.

Puwaneswary had reportedly given Singapore $6,000 of her own money to Selvam, but the report did not give any details.