Times reporter Haijie Wu wrote this article with contributions from Shangfa and Shangjian.
His lover got into someone else's BMW, and in a fit of rage, the man smashed the BMW. On this romantic Valentine's Day, he was sentenced to prison.
People who don't know him might think he is a passionate young man full of righteous indignation, but little do they know that he has children and a wife at home. His devoted wife even hired a defense lawyer for him, hoping her husband would return.
The man surnamed Zhang is 25 years old and comes from Anhui Province.
Yesterday morning, a fair-skinned, handsome man stood on the defendant’s stand at the Shangcheng District Court; he was Zhang.
In the audience, Zhang's wife sat alone, a woman dressed in a red wool coat, staring blankly at her husband.
The husband had a lover
The wife told the reporter that she and Zhang have been married for seven or eight years and have a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. Two years ago, her husband met a post-90s girl named Xiao Wang at work. She and her husband are both from Anhui, and they started a relationship. Xiao Wang works as a DJ, and while her husband is with Xiao Wang in Hangzhou, she works in Ningbo with her in-laws taking care of the children.
"I called Xiao Wang, and she said she would die before leaving my husband," the wife said, her eyes welling up with tears, then fell silent...
The lover gets into someone else's car
In October last year, Zhang felt that Xiao Wang was being distant towards him, and he suspected that Xiao Wang was seeing someone else.
On the evening of October 16th, Zhang heard that his lover Xiao Wang was dining at Sichuan Flavor on Huan Sha Road, so he gathered a few friends and waited outside.
At around 10:30 pm, a mature man in his thirties came out of Sichuan Flavor. This man was slightly overweight and was accompanied by two pretty girls. One of the girls left first, while the other girl got into a black BMW X5 with the man.
Zhang immediately recognized the girl getting into the car as his own lover, Xiao Wang!
Zhang and his friends approached the car and tapped on the window, saying to Xiao Wang sitting in the passenger seat: "Get out of the car!"
Xiao Wang refused: "I don't want to be with you anymore."
"Get out first, we can talk after you get out," Zhang said.
Xiao Wang still refused.
"Your mother is sick, get out quickly," Zhang continued to persuade her.
Xiao Wang ignored Zhang and told the man in the car: "Let's go, start the car."
The man slowly started the car.
Furious destruction of the BMW
Seeing his lover about to leave with someone else, Zhang became furious. He jumped onto the hood of the BMW and used a stone to smash the windshield. His friends also rushed to help break the car. Zhang reached through the broken windshield, trying to pull out the car key but failed to reach it.
Zhang then jumped onto the roof and smashed the sunroof. After breaking it, he climbed into the car and told the man inside: "This doesn't concern you." Then he said to Xiao Wang: "Get out of the car." Xiao Wang remained resolute, so Zhang opened the passenger door and forcibly took Xiao Wang away.
A few days later, Zhang was arrested in Yuhuan.
Upon evaluation, the BMW X5 suffered damage to its windows, windshield, and other parts, amounting to over 110,000 yuan in losses.
Wife waits for his return
Yesterday in court, Zhang's wife hired a defense lawyer for her husband.
Zhang admitted guilt. Due to intentional destruction of others' property, involving a large amount, the court sentenced Zhang to 3 years and 10 months in prison for intentional property damage.
Facing this verdict, the lawyer said: "It was expected. A loss exceeding 20,000 yuan could result in a three-year prison sentence."
However, Zhang's wife softly said: "The sentence is too heavy."
Throughout the trial, Zhang's wife kept her eyes fixed on her husband, afraid not to miss any detail about him. When Zhang was led out of the courtroom, he glanced back at his wife in the audience, and her eyes welled up with tears.
"After he was arrested, I haven't seen him again. I only received letters from him," the wife quietly said, willing to wait as long as her husband returns.
Regarding the compensation of 110,000 yuan, although Zhang expressed willingness to pay, his wife said: "I am raising two children alone, and I don't have money. My in-laws sell vegetables and don't have money either."
"Alas..." After saying this, Zhang's wife lowered her head and silently walked out of the court gate. Snowflakes danced in the sky, blowing disheveled strands of her once-happy hair.