Singapore, Dec 11 (IANS): A court here on Tuesday sentenced an Indian origin man to seven years in jail for stabbing his pregnant wife using a knife with a 10-cm long blade.

The incident took place on December 30 last year during which Jayselan N. Chandrasegar, 30, stabbed his 26-year-old wife Mayuri Krishnakumar twice in her abdomen and twice on her lower back, causing her to suffer puncture wounds. She was taken to hospital and was discharged after a few days.

The unborn baby was unhurt in the attack, the Straits Times reported.

According to the report, Chandrasegar flew into a rage after he spotted his pregnant wife, who used to be a sex worker, talking to a man he assumed was a pimp. He stabbed her and fled the scene.

Besides the jail term, Chandrasegar was also punished with six strokes of the cane.

He pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt to his wife with a weapon, and one count of failing to provide his urine sample after he was caught for suspected drug-related offences.

The court was told that the accused was overly possessive and distrustful of his wife as her former boyfriend was apparently trying to reconnect with her. He had banned the victim from going out of their house.

Later, when the woman informed her husband of her pregnancy, he refused to believe that the child was his and accused her of infidelity, the report said.

The accused's wife later ran away from their house due to his verbal abuse and sought refuge with her friends.

Before this incident, Chandrasegar was caught for suspected drug-related offences.

Prior to the verdict, the defence lawyer pleaded for a jail term of between five and five and a half years for Chandrasegar, saying that the accused's wife had forgiven him and the couple were still married to each other.