Chinese man who stalked Muslim student and threatened to commit suicide is jailed

A student who became obsessed with a Muslim woman after a first date  harassed her on 44 different phone numbers and sent a kilo of pork to her house.

Kaichen Ma tried to contact the victim after she repeatedly blocked him, sent prejudicial messages about her Muslim faith and had pork - which is Haram for Muslims - delivered to her university accommodation.

Ma would turn up uninvited to lectures his victim was attending at Durham University, and bought her unwanted gifts addressed to “the love of my life” including a pandora ring, cards and a plane ticket to visit his family in China.

The victim was left frightened to leave her student accommodation unescorted, suffered mentally and missing two weeks of her studies through fear she may come into contact with the defendant.

Ma, 21, of Tolleshunt Knights in Maldon, Essex, admitted charges of stalking and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Matthew Bean, prosecuting, told Durham Crown Court the pair met at a nightclub on Sept 30 and exchanged contact details, before a date was arranged a few days later.

Having dined at a Turkish restaurant and gone to the cinema, Ma tried to kiss the woman and touch her arm as he was walking her home.

She tried to explain she was not interested and that he was being too forward with her. Mr Bean said despite being repeatedly blocked by her, he would send her further messages using multiple different numbers, and turned up at her lectures, even though he was not on the same course.

He bought a ticket to a winter ball she was attending with friends, approaching her five times that night, despite being told to leave her alone.

Mr Bean said she became exhausted with his persistence and in constant fear. Following his initial arrest on Dec 1, he was bailed on condition that he did not contact or approach the woman. But in December, he sent her further messages asking her to show mercy on him and urging her to drop the police complaint against him.

He suggested she could join him on a visit to China, booking a flight ticket for her to Beijing. But in other messages, Ma made references to the Armenian genocide, knowing she was Turkish.

Ma also offered to pay her a month of his salary when he was in work, so that the harassment complaint would not be pursued, as well as messaging the victim’s sister.

Other messages inferred he would commit suicide, and some were of a more sinister nature, saying if she told police about the recent contact, in breach of his bail condition, he, “had a way to handle it”.

Having missed two weeks of university, when she did return to Durham in January her mother came with her due to the distress it was causing her.

He was arrested again after approaching the woman in the street on Jan 30 and he made no comment in his police interview.

Judge James Adkin said there were “disturbing traits” over his actions. He said his “obsessive, persistent” behaviour had a great impact on the victim and continued despite the bail condition not to contact her.

Imposing a 28-month prison sentence, he said Ma would serve half in custody and should then be deported.

He also made Ma subject to a restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting or approaching the victim for 15 years.