A YOUNG man who hammered his mother on the back of the head was jailed for 15 months on Friday.

Koh Kim Swee, 21, admitted to causing hurt to Madam Lee Yoke Kuen, 47, with the hammer at their Jurong East flat on March 13.

That day, mother and son had an argument and Koh felt annoyed by her nagging.

Feeling very agitated, he took a hammer from a paper bag and hit her on the back of her head with it.

Madam Lee's head started bleeding. She ran out to seek help, knocking on her neighbours' doors, but to no avail.

An unknown resident called the police who came and arrested Koh.

He could have been jailed for up to seven years or fined or caned or with any combination of the punishments.