A Swiss man condemned to prison and caning in Singapore for vandalising a metro train could have his sentence increased after a prosecutor filed an appeal.

Kan Shuk Weng, an assistant attorney in the Asian city state, said on Tuesday the man’s punishment should be increased in light of new evidence presented to the court. Hearings have been postponed until Friday.

The 32-year-old computer consultant pleaded guilty to cutting a fence and sneaking into a depot to spray graffiti on train carriages in May. He was sentenced to five months in jail and three lashes from a cane. He has appealed against the sentence. It was unclear whether he had already been beaten.

While committing the offence, he had been joined by a Briton who later left the country and was not put on trial. Workers did not report the crime for two days.

Singapore punishes vandals severely with up to eight lashes from a cane, three years in prison and a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars (SFr1,556).

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