A Sydney man who kidnapped a Gold Coast child to recover a $5.5 million gambling debt from the boy’s father has been sentenced to seven years’ jail.
Key points:
- Zhen Jie Zhang kidnapped the 12-year-old son of a gambling associate who owed him money
- He offered an apology to the boy and his family, saying he was “deeply sorry” for his crime
- The boy tried three times to escape during his 16-hour ordeal
Zhen Jie Zhang, 55, admitted to the Southport District Court he had acted irrationally and said he wanted to formally apologise to his young victim, whose head he tied to a chair in 2018.
“I want to say I’m deeply sorry,” Zhang said through an interpreter.
“If you feel afraid please forgive me for that; your father was acting terribly [and] owed …
Read the full article at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-10/gambler-tells-court-felt-he-had-no-other-option-child-kidnap/12836746