A "lonely" stalker became obsessed with a Durham University student and bombarded her with unwanted gifts and messages.
Kaichen Ma latched on to the woman after going on one date with her and continued to call and message her despite being told she wasn't interested. The 21-year-old sent the woman gifts and even bought her a ticket for a flight to Beijing as she was studying Chinese Language Studies.
But as the woman - who is a Turkish Muslim - continued to avoid Ma, his behaviour became increasingly bizarre and sinister, including sending her 1kg of pork, making references to the Armenian Genocide, and sending her a Christian book. Ma's harassment even continued after his arrest and he sent her numerous messages asking for "mercy" and requested her to drop the charges.
On Friday, Ma, whose address was given as the Monastery of St John the Baptist, The Old Rectory, Maldon, appeared at Durham Crown Court via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for stalking and perverting the course of justice. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
The court heard that Ma and the woman were both Durham University students and had met in a nightclub on September 30 last year. They exchanged numbers and a date was arranged for October 3 where they went to a Turkish restaurant and the cinema.
Matthew Bean, prosecuting said: "As he was walking her home he tried to kiss her, but she let him know she was not interested and told him he was being too forward. He apologised but carried on anyway. Following the date she received numerous texts and messages from the defendant. She would block email addresses that were used (by Ma), but another would take its place. Many included the defendant's name."
The court heard that the following month, Ma then began attending the woman's university lectures before he was reported and banned from them. He also left the woman's dad an answer phone message. Later that month, despite not having an invitation, he bought a ticket to the university's Winter Ball and showed up and followed the woman around for the majority of the night.
Mr Bean said Ma then began sending her a number of unwanted gifts, including a bag of groceries, a ring, and a handwritten note which was left at her front door and addressed to "the love of my life". In the note, he said he wanted to "start a relationship" and pleaded, "don't give up on me".
Despite the woman being a Muslim, Ma sent her a Christian book with a written message in the back saying it was "important to seek the truth" as well as sending her 1kg of pork. Ma's harassment left the woman "exhausted" and led her to have several breakdowns as well as missing two weeks of university, the court heard.
Ma was then arrested on December 1 and he was bailed with the condition he must not contact the woman. But on December 21, he messaged her asking for "mercy" and asked her to drop the charges. Mr Bean said: "There were further messages and calls from the defendant where he asked for mercy. He said he never intended to harass her and asked for compromise, saying they could be friends with benefits and that he would fund a trip to China. He then sent her a booking confirmation for a flight to Beijing."
Ma further upset the woman by making a reference to the Armenian Genocide and made further calls to her on Christmas Day and audio calls on New Year's Eve. Mr Bean added: "On January 1 this year, he told her he would commit suicide and tried to contact her again. Days later, he sent her a message saying 'you should rape me, why can't we have sex for fun?'". He also sent her more messages regarding religion.
On January 30, Ma then approached her in the street, resulting in the woman contacting the police again and he was arrested the following day. The court heard that up until then, Ma, who had no previous convictions, had used 44 different phone numbers to bombard the woman with calls and messages, as well as using numerous email addresses.
In a victim statement, the woman said Ma's actions had a "tremendous impact" and she became "physically sick every night". She said she felt "powerless and scared" and felt he had "targeted" her ethnicity as a Turkish woman and her religious background.
Katie Spence, defending, said Ma had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and said he was finding his first time in prison difficult after having one lens of his glasses "punched out". She said: "He is extremely isolated and in a constant state of anxiety...he is incredibly remorseful of his actions. He just didn't know how to behave with girls and absolutely acted inappropriately.
"He has had very little social experience and was not settling into university at all and handled his behaviour entirely wrong. He is very lonely and incredibly sorry."
Sentencing Ma, Judge James Adkin said he "became obsessed with a young student" and said his behaviour was "sinister" and "very, very persistent". Ma was jailed for 28 months and a 15-year restraining order was imposed. The judge added Ma "should be deported" following his sentence.
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