Twenty years ago, a Chinese man living illegally in Ireland strangled his girlfriend to death and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. After serving the minimum term, the man requested to be deported back to China. However, his request was denied by the judge. Recently, the Northern Ireland court also rejected his appeal, deeming that the man did not meet the deportation criteria.
In June 2004, Chinese national Chang Hai Zhang killed his 22-year-old Chinese girlfriend in an apartment in the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast, and disposed of the partially naked body in the trunk of a car.
A neighbor who witnessed the incident immediately reported it to the authorities. The police found the victim’s body at a gas station not far from Chang Hai Zhang’s residence, leading to his arrest. Chang Hai Zhang confessed to killing his girlfriend the previous evening in their shared apartment. At the time of his arrest, he was planning to dispose of the body in a remote location.
Chang Hai Zhang denied the charge of murder, claiming that he was deceived by his girlfriend and in a fit of rage, accidentally strangled her.
Court documents revealed that his girlfriend, named Qu Mei Na (Tina in English), was Chinese and lived in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, less than a 3-hour drive from Belfast, where the tragic incident occurred. She was attending a language learning course.
Chang Hai Zhang stated that he met Qu Mei Na in Dublin, and they began dating in March 2004. In June, he discovered by chance that his girlfriend was involved in illicit activities, sparking a heated argument during which Qu Mei Na admitted to the truth.
According to Chang Hai Zhang, he provided financial support to Qu Mei Na weekly for her language studies in Dublin. Her revelation angered him, and as a form of punishment, he tied her hands and feet to the bed. The following morning, he had calmed down and intended to release Qu Mei Na, but her mention of other men once again provoked him. Chang Hai Zhang lost control and ended up strangling Qu Mei Na with a rope.
The court eventually ruled the case as murder, sentencing Chang Hai Zhang to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years.
Upon completing the 17-year term, Chang Hai Zhang requested to be deported back to China. However, the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal ultimately determined that he did not meet the criteria for deportation.
Prisoners in England and Wales can request the Home Secretary to exercise discretion to transfer them back to their home country after serving the minimum term.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Chang Hai Zhang initiated legal proceedings after confirming there was no extradition agreement between the UK and China.
However, his application in Northern Ireland was rejected. It was reported that the parole board believed releasing Chang Hai Zhang would pose a threat to public safety. Additionally, the transfer regulations in Northern Ireland were deemed unsuitable for prisoners serving life sentences.
Chang Hai Zhang’s lawyer claimed that this decision violated human rights and filed an appeal. The Department of Justice responded by stating that the differences between England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in terms of applying extradition provisions were reasonable considering the devolved nature of legislative powers within the UK.
The Court of Appeal upheld the court’s decision, dismissing Chang Hai Zhang’s lawyer’s allegations that not applying the extradition provisions to Northern Ireland was a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Chang Hai Zhang is expected to remain incarcerated in a prison in Northern Ireland until the next parole board review of his custody status.