ANOTHER man had a grudge against a woman, and Suhaimi Juma'at became the 'hitman' because he was desperate for money.

So he took the $1,000 offered and ambushed and knifed the woman one evening.

The repeat drug offender stabbed her so viciously, it left her with blood in her lungs and forced her to take a month's medical leave.

Yesterday, Suhaimi, 35, a mover, was jailed for 11 years and given 14 strokes of the cane for the attack on Ms Surinam Sumsudin, 32, a manager with the National Parks Board (NParks), as well as a separate offence of drug consumption.

Suhaimi claimed another man, Karunanithi Veeramuthu, a 39-year-old tree pruning supervisor, bore a grudge against Ms Surinam, whose duties included assessing his work and that of other workers engaged by NParks.

Karunanithi is not an employee of NParks.

Karunanithi allegedly contacted Suhaimi through a mutual friend, Jayram Muttu Krishna, 38, who runs a construction firm.

Suhaimi agreed to do the deed. On March 13 at about 6.30pm, he saw Ms Surinam head to her apartment in Bedok Reservoir Road.

He ran up to her with a knife and stabbed her three times before fleeing. He was arrested two weeks later.

He also tested positive for drugs.

Yesterday, District Judge Wong Keen Onn said that what Suhaimi did to Ms Surinam was 'highly reprehensible'.

'It was a premeditated act, which was carefully planned and calmly executed with devastating consequences to the victim,' he said.

Ms Surinam was 'extremely fortunate' that the knife did not penetrate her heart and arteries.

The judge also agreed with Deputy Public Prosecutor Lee Cheow Han that the punishment for the stabbing and the drug consumption should run consecutively.

'These are offences which were committed on separate occasions and distinct from each other,' he said.

For drug consumption, Suhaimi was jailed for seven years and given six strokes.

For causing grievous hurt to Ms Surinam, he was jailed for four years and given eight strokes.

The punishment for injuring Ms Surinam could have been much higher had the court not taken note that he was already given a jail term for drug consumption.

Jayram will be sentenced on Sept 20 and Karunanithi will claim trial on Sept 28.