He said Jane also failed to pay the suppliers for the groceries bought.

But District Judge Eddy Tham found Liao's actions "inexcusable".

He sentenced the man to six months' jail for criminal intimidation for threatening to kill Jane and her two sons; $2,000 fine, in default two weeks' jail for causing distress to her by sending 173 SMS messages; and $1,000 fine for committing mischief by damaging her bedroom door.

He also sentenced him to six months' jail for causing hurt to Cynthia, and 15 months' jail for using criminal force to outrage her modesty.

One of the six-month sentences will run concurrently, bringing the total sentence to 21 months' jail and $3,000 fine.

Jane, Cynthia, and a handful of their close friends and relatives were in court to witness the sentencing.

Cynthia had come from Johor to Singapore specially to hear the verdict.

"Of course, I must come to see justice served," she said.

When the sentence was read, Liao, who was wearing a white shirt and dark trousers, looked solemn.

He spoke briefly to a woman who had accompanied him to court, before he was handcuffed and led away. The woman, who declined to give her name, said she was Liao's sister.

Jane and Cynthia admitted that they had mixed feelings after the court session.

They were happy that Liao was jailed and the case has finally come to an end, but were upset by his mitigation plea ??? his claims that Jane was his mistress and they had cheated him of money.

They vehemently denied the accusations.

Jane said: "He claimed that I was his mistress and we had cheated him, and we had no chance to refute that in court.

"It was like a final insult to everything we've already suffered."

This article was first published in The New Paper on May 3, 2008.