After their date, Ma called and messaged her using 44 different phone numbers as she repeatedly blocked him. — Photo by Andrew Guan on Unsplash
A student in Britain was sentenced to jail last month after stalking a woman he went on one date with, harassing her on 44 different phone numbers and bombarding her with unwanted gifts.
Ma Kaichen left the victim, an undergraduate at Durham University, so terrified that she was afraid to leave her university’s accommodation, unable to sleep and suffered from mental breakdowns.
According to British media, Ma, who is also a student at the university, became obsessed with the woman, who was not named, after they went on a date in September 2022.
During the date, the 21-year-old tried to kiss the woman and touch her arm as he was walking her home. She told him she was not interested and that he was being too forward.
But Ma then called and messaged her using 44 different phone numbers as she repeatedly blocked him.
He also turned up at her lectures even though they were not studying the same course and bought her unwanted gifts such as groceries, a ring and cards addressed to “the love of my life”.
He even bought her a plane ticket to go with him to his native China.
Ma was arrested on Dec 1 and admitted to the charges of stalking and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was allowed bail on the condition that he must not contact the victim.
However, on Dec 21, he messaged her asking for “mercy” and to drop the police complaint against him. He also suggested they could be “friends with benefits” and continued sending her disturbing messages.
He was arrested again by the police after he approached the woman on Jan 30.
Judge James Adkin sentenced Ma to 28 months in jail and he will be deported after serving half his sentence.
The Daily Mail reported that Judge Adkin prohibited Ma from contacting or approaching the victim for 15 years.
Describing Ma as “socially immature”, his lawyer, Katie Spence, said the youth was “incredibly remorseful” of his conduct and that he is now aware that he “behaved improperly”. – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia News Network
