AWOL National Serviceman Dave Teo Ming told an army buddy, a pimp, that he had taken the rifle and bullets from camp to kill his ex-girlfriend.

The 20-year-old also said he was going to use it in a robbery.

Then, he told his platoon leader that he was going to use the rifle to kill five people who he hated.

'Fortunately, nothing disastrous occurred but a deterrent sentence was necessary to deter like-minded offenders,' said Deputy Public Prosceutor Peter Koy in the High Court on Monday.

Teo was jailed a total of nine years and two months and ordered to be caned 18 times.

Teo had pleaded guilty to having the rifle and eight bullets with him in a public toilet in Cathay CineLeisure at 8pm on Sept 3 last year.

He also admitted to carrying a 40cm-long knife on April 14 last year near his ex-girlfriend's home.

In mitigation, his lawyer, Mr K. Mathialahan, asked the court to send Teo for reformative training in view of Teo's age and mental condition.

The lawyer said that Teo was suffering from depression after his girlfriend of four years broke up with him in April last year.

'He was under a lot of emotional pressure and was very confused,' said Mr Mathialahan.

Teo told his lawyer and a psychiatrist that he had no intentions of killing his girlfriend but wanted to use the rifle to threaten her to make up with him.

Arguing that the court should give more weight to what Teo had said before his arrest, DPP Koy pointed out that people will say all sorts of things to earn leniency after they are caught.