By Elesha George
Tianzhao ‘Alex’ Feng has been fined $3,500 after pleading guilty to charges of maliciously damaging the property of the recently-rebuilt XPZ supermarket on Sir Sydney Walling Highway.
The case, which had been adjourned twice, was heard before Magistrate Dane Hamilton Jr with the aid of Chinese interpreter, Norm Christopher.
Feng, originally from Henan Province Shaolin, China, appeared without legal representation.
On Wednesday morning, the magistrate handed down the fine – $500 for malicious damage, and an additional $3,000 in compensation. He reprimanded and discharged a count of threatening language, and also dismissed a charge of throwing missiles.
Feng, who committed to paying $1,000 by the end of yesterday, has until November 21 to pay the remainder. In default of payment, he will be imprisoned.
The owner of XPZ, Zhang Xiao Ping, was present in court and told Observer that he was dissatisfied with the ruling.
“I believe he should be in jail and sent back to China,” Ping said. He is concerned that Feng’s erratic behaviour will get him into more trouble, if not with him, then with someone else.
Feng apparently owes Ping $6,500 which he borrowed from him on 20 separate occasions in 2019. According to Ping, Feng squandered his money on gambling, smoking and drinking alcohol, and many times had no money for food, and would ask him or other workers to loan him the money.
It is the same money that Feng told Magistrate Hamilton that he was being harassed and threatened for.
“He is a total liar and has no evidence [that anyone threatened and harassed him],” Ping claimed.
Feng was sternly warned by Magistrate Hamilton not to appear before him in any other case related to XPZ, or else he will sentence him to prison. He cautioned Feng to “leave the gentleman’s property alone” and to make a report to the police if he is being harassed.
The police reported that on August 6, Feng damaged a glass window, several galvanised panels, and a metal gate on the XPZ property around 5pm. Feng, who was detained at His Majesty’s Prison for a week and a half, claimed he was unaware of any police directive to stay away from XPZ. He defended his actions in court, asserting, “Antigua is a free place, me can go anywhere me want.”
Throughout the proceedings, Magistrate Hamilton repeatedly asked Feng to calm down as he attempted to interrupt and assert his point.
Feng previously spent a total of three years in prison after burning down the original XPZ supermarket in 2021. His short sentence was largely influenced by a Social Investigation Report (SIR) conducted by a senior probation officer.
The sentencing judge said Feng was a victim of “cruel and inhumane working and living conditions coupled with physical abuse”.
The information in the report was from interviews conducted with Feng, senior managers and former staff of XPZ.
