A Cambodian man in Sihanoukville was charged yesterday for allegedly using a wooden stick to assault a US marine for reportedly flirting with his girlfriend, a court official said.

Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court deputy prosecutor Huoth Vichet said yesterday that suspect Nget Saroeun, 26, had been charged with an aggravated act of intentional violence and put under pre-trial detention.

If found guilty, he could be sentenced to between two and five years’ prison. Provincial police chief Tak Vantha said that marine Guillermo Gonzalez, 24 – who was assigned to a visiting US navy vessel at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base – was at a restaurant at around 3am on Tuesday when Saroeun and his girlfriend came in.

“[Saroeun] brought his English girlfriend to eat food at the restaurant, and the US marine flirted with her, and hugged and kissed her.” An argument ensued, Vantha said, which led to the alleged assault that left Gonzalez with a roughly 10-centimetre gash to the forehead.