A Saanich man who pleaded guilty late last month to charges related to a plan to abduct his employer’s daughter will spend another seven-and-a-half months in jail.
Supreme Court Justice Mary Humphries on Thursday handed Kian Chong, 35, a 24-month prison sentence. He was credited with 16.5 months for time already served in custody while awaiting trial.
Chong was originally charged with with kidnapping, disguising with intent (wearing a mask), two counts of assault with a weapon, and assault causing bodily harm, but pleaded guilty in October to unlawful confinement, assault causing bodily harm and wearing a disguise during the incident that took place in the evening of Dec. 3, 2012.
Chong planned to temporarily seize his boss’ daughter and take photos of her in handcuffs in an attempt to scare the woman to China. He worked as a waiter at a Saanich restaurant and felt his boss was mistreating her employees.
When Chong attempted his plan that evening nothing went as he expected, Humphries acknowledged in her judgment.
“The tables turned so quickly on Mr. Chong that his absurd plan almost immediately became a confusing nightmare for him, as well as a terrifying one for the girls,” she said.
Chong struggled while attempting to pull his boss’ 18-year-old daughter into a rented U-Haul van. He admitted to police that he didn’t expect her to be so loud, thinking that his wearing a mask would scare her silent.
The girl’s 17-year-old friend intervened in the abduction attempt, hitting him repeatedly and trying to prevent him from escaping. She received a cut to her forearm from a pair of scissors Chong was brandishing.
He fled from the Gordon Head neighbourhood, abandoned the rented van and called police claiming it had been stolen. Within hours, police determined his story didn’t line up and he was charged in the incident.
Crown prosecutor Scott Van Alstine was asking the judge for an additional two years in prison, while defence attorney Tim Russell was asking for 18 months time served, and would have liked to have seen his client released immediately so he could return home to Brunei.
Russell said Chong feels remorseful for the incident.
kslavin@saanichnews.com
