A SHORTAGE of spoons at a busy Raffles City restaurant sparked a heated row between a supervisor and a subordinate that ended with the tragic death of the boss.

On Friday, kitchen assistant Wang Zhenjun, 44, was jailed four years for fatally stabbing his supervisor Tan Guanhua, 25, at The Soup Spoon eatery last year.

Wang, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty to one charge of manslaughter in the High Court. He could have been jailed for up to 10 years, or for life.

In a curious situation, his own lawyer pleaded for six years, a longer sentence than those imposed in cases cited by prosecutors.

The court heard that Wang worked at another outlet of the restaurant, but every Saturday, he supplemented his income by working at the Raffles City branch.

There was no bad blood between the two men. But on the evening of March 10, Mr Tan walked into the kitchen of the eatery and told Wang to wash the spoons first as there was a shortage in the dining area.

Wang's job was to collect dirty utensils and wash them using a dishwashing machine.

Wang told his supervisor that before he could wash the spoons, he first had to take the utensils out of the dishwasher.

Mr Tan then shouted at him to wash the spoons immediately.

A scuffle broke out after Mr Tan punched Wang in the left cheek.

Five other employees who were in the kitchen rushed forward and separated the two men, who continued shouting at each other.

When Mr Tan tried to get at Wang, the kitchen helper grabbed a knife lying on the dishwasher and stabbed him.

After Mr Tan collapsed, bleeding profusely, Wang declared: 'We China people are not that easy to be bullied.'

Paramedics pronounced Mr Tan dead on the spot.

Wang confessed to police at the scene that he had stabbed Mr Tan and pointed out the weapon, a blood-stained knife with a 20-cm blade.

An autopsy found a single stab wound on the dead man's back.

Wang originally faced the death penalty for murder but the charge was reduced following a psychiatric report that he had a moderate depressive episode.

Wang's assigned lawyer, Mr Alan Moh, on Friday pleaded for leniency, stressing that his client was not responsible for the scuffle.

The lawyer cited manslaughter cases which attracted sentences of eight to nine years. He asked for a 'light sentence' of six years.

On the other hand, Deputy Public Prosecutor Peter Koy cited three similar cases ? of killings during an altercation - in which the offenders were sentenced to between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 years.

This prompted Justice Kan Ting Chiu to remark to Mr Moh: 'This is one of those rare situations. He seems to have cited cases more favourable to your client than you have.'

In passing sentence, Justice Kan took into account that the incident was not premeditated and there was an element of provocation.

'It appears that he was the one who started the altercation and he threw the first punch,' said the judge.

'In the course of that, you inflicted one stab wound on the deceased which unfortunately proved to be fatal.'