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Man gets 10 1/2 years jail term for kidnapping

2013-12-18 09:50 Shanghai Daily Web Editor: Wang Fan
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A kidnapper who grabbed a three-year-old boy from a car and held him to ransom was sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail yesterday, Minhang District People's Court said.

Prosecutors said the man, surnamed Lu, planned to commit a robbery on May 12 around a kindergarten after running up huge gambling debts but was not able to because the place was always crowded.

After keeping an eye on the place for four days, he targeted a mother who drove a BMW every day to pick up her son and always put him on the backseat.

On May 16, Lu waited at the gate of the kindergarten and followed the boy to the car. After the boy got into the car and was about to close the door, Lu grabbed him and held a knife at his throat.

Lu told the mother to withdraw more cash from a nearby ATM after emptying her purse of 6,000 yuan (US$988).

The mother gave Lu another 13,500 yuan and promised him that she won't report it to police. Lu fled after giving 200 yuan to the boy to buy snacks.

Lu was caught by police three days later after the mother reported the matter to police. They, however, could not recover the money which he had already gambled away.

Lu told the court that he only needed money to repay his debts and never meant to hurt the boy. His lawyer sought a lighter term for him, saying what Lu's case should be considered as robbery rather than kidnapping.

But the court ruled that Lu's threat of hurting the boy amounted to kidnapping and sentenced him to 10 and a half years in jail.

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