A man was jailed for three years and six months and ordered to be given eight strokes of the cane in court on Monday for robbery and absenting himself from national service civil defence duties without leave.

Li Zhi Qiang, 23, admitted to robbing Matthias Leonard Lim Chong Guan, 16, with several others in a void deck at Bedok North Street 1 on March 27. He also pleaded guilty to two charges of absenting himself from duty from June last year to April this year and April to July this year.

The Community Court heard that a text-message Matthias sent to a former classmate, Cindy, sparked off the entire robbery and assasult.

He went to meet the group, comprising Li, Cindy, Jack Tor Yong Cheng and Nicholas Yeo Kexiong and others, at the meeting point in Bedok North after they had threatened to beat him up if he failed to show up.

During a dispute with Li over Cindy, an angry Li slipped a knuckle duster onto his right hand and started to punch Matthias in the face. The victim blocked the blows.

Li then pressed a lighted cigarette on the victim's face, causing him to scream in pain.

After the assault, Tor robbed him of his $698 mobile phone while Li took his wallet. Tor took the wallet from Li and gave it to Yeo who removed $30.

The group further made Matthias withdraw $70 from the ATM machine.

Tor has been sentenced to reformative training while Yeo has claimed trial.