Singapore- A Singapore court Tuesday sentenced a man to seven years in jail for beating his girlfriend's 3-year-old son to death, media reports said.

Firdaus Abdullah, 27, who will also get 12 strokes of the cane, lost his temper whenever the toddler cried, the court heard.

Between January 12-14, 2008, he repeatedly punched the boy in the face and slammed his head against a door frame causing head injuries, the online edition of Straits Times newspaper reported. He had also grabbed and bitten the boy's genitals.

The boy was certified brain-dead four days after he was admitted to hospital.

Medical examinations revealed that the boy had suffered multiple injuries at various times to his face, head, trunk, limbs, abdomen, genitals and back.

Firdaus was originally accused of murder, but was subsequently charged with causing grievous hurt and ill-treating the child.

The judge described the crime as a "very savage attack on a defenceless child."(dpa)