Singapore - A Singapore teen who had been in trouble with law since the age of 12 on Wednesday asked for a harsher sentence in court to prevent himself from lapsing back into crime, media reports said.

Danny Koh Jia Gui, 18, who had been convicted of theft, robbery, rioting, drug and traffic offences since 2003, told the judge he believed that a jail term and caning could deter him from reoffending, after probation and reformative training failed to do the trick for him.

The teen had been ordered to undergo another round of reformative training in July, but appealed, the online edition of Straits Times newspaper reported.

However, the judge dismissed the appeal, noting that the court's priority was the rehabilitation of young offenders.

"Must you have some marks on your bottom to remind you to change your ways?" the judge asked the 18-year-old, according to the report. (dpa)