Durham student who tried to kidnap ex-girlfriend with fake gun jailed for five years

A Durham University student who attempted to kidnap his ex-girlfriend using a fake gun has been jailed for five years.

Zhao Tong Li terrorised his victim into believing his family were out to kill her and tried to make her leave with him at gunpoint, BBC News reports. 

The biology and anthropology student committed five offences including kidnapping, coercive control and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The incident came after a six-month long relationship starting in May 2024, in which Li was possessive and controlling. After the relationship ended, Li began to terrorise his ex-girlfriend.

He “bombarded” the woman with phone calls and messages, physically attacked her twice, and he convinced her that his family were “targeting” because she “knew too much”. As part of this, he planted tracking devices in her room and staged a smoke-bomb attack.

On Monday 9^th February, Li then waited outside his victim’s student accommodation and coerced her after she returned home, using a lock knife and a painted gun in an attempt to force her to leave with him.

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When she initially refused to comply, Li loaded his weapon with a magazine containing seven black rounds and dug it into her ribs, forcing the victim to obey out of fear for her life. In court she said: “I genuinely believed I was going to die if I did not run away from him”.

Staff then detained Li in the reception area after the woman bravely escaped and managed to get help.

Judge Richard Bennett said “It is difficult to envisage more extreme methods of control”. He continued, saying that Li’s deception made his victim believe he was her “knight in shining armour”.

The woman told the court: “He has changed how safe I feel in the world,”

In addition to the five years of prison time, Li’s ex-girlfriend now has a restraining order against him. Bennett assured that Li would likely be deported back to China after his prison release.

Featured image via Durham Police