A FORMER lawyer who used to run a cafe in the Arab Street area was sentenced to six months' jail on Monday for breaking the little finger of a business rival.

Sheik Heikel Khalid Bafana, 36, who is appealing against his conviction, was found guilty after a five-day trial of causing grievous hurt to Mr Abhishek Singh, 29, by punching and kicking him outside Samar restaurant at Kandahar Street on Sept 20, 2006.

Samar was then owned by Heikel while the victim ran a nearby restaurant at Baghdad Street.

During the trial, the victim testified that Heikel confronted him outside Samar restaurant regarding the sale of alcohol.

He said he did not punch back while Heikel was throwing repeated punches and kicks at him. All he did was to use his hands to ward off the blows and kicks.

His evidence was corroborated by popular actor, model and local television cebebrity Max Loong, 28.

Heikel had been in practice for seven years before he gave up his career in October 2004 and joined the family's food business.

In its submission on sentence, the prosecution argued that Heikel was the aggressor and had initiated the attack by confronting the victim on a public road over the latter's sale of alcohol in his restaurant.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Christine Liu said Heikel had repeatedly punched and kicked Mr Singh for at least two to three minutes - akin to one round of a boxing match.

The attack continued even after he saw the victim's nose had started to bleed.

Despite the victim moving backwards to his restuarant, Heikel chose to pursue him and only stopped when they were near the victim's restaurant.

'The present case is the unfortunate culmination of a long history of bad blood between the accused and the victim, spanning nearly two years, primarily over the latter's sale of alcohol in his restaurant,' she said.

District Judge F.G. Remedios set bail at $15,000 pending appeal.