PhD student suspended over attack on woman
HIT VICTIM WITH A ROLLING PIN
A PHD student who launched a brutal and sustained attack on a woman in their shared accommodation block has been suspended by his university – but the door remains open for his potential return.
Zhaolun Li, a 25-year-old research student at Loughborough University hit the woman 10 times across the head and hands with a rolling pin after wrongly accusing her of keeping him awake by playing music late at night.
The unprovoked attack left the woman traumatised and afraid to leave her home. She was unable to complete a year’s worth of study.
Li appeared at Leicester Crown Court in October and was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended because of factors such as his previous good character, his charity work and a reference.
The university, which paid his fees for research into driverless car technology, has now confirmed he has been suspended but that its decision would be reviewed next year “at the earliest”.
The court heard Li attacked his fellow student at 1am on July 24 as she was cleaning her bathroom in the accommodation.
He burst into the room armed with a rolling pin he had taken from a communal kitchen and accused her of disturbing his sleep.
Despite her protestations, he began beating her around the head, the court heard.
She suffered wounds to her head as well as injuries to her hands.
She was rescued by two people, including a warden, who took her to safety before contacting police.
Li, according to his solicitor, was suffering stress because he was not getting enough sleep as a result of noise in the block and the pressure of his work. He was said to be “extremely remorseful”.
Recorder Richard Davis told Li: “The woman was crying and had blood streaming down her face and had told the warden you were crazy and tried to kill her.
“She goes on to say that she is reluctant to leave her accommodation and suffers depression and a loss of appetite.”
The judge told him the attack was violent and “sustained”, but he was prepared to suspend the sentence for two years.
His sentence also included an order to pay compensation to the woman and to observe a 7pm to 7am curfew for six months.
A university spokesman said: “The student has been suspended and excluded from the campus, with no funding.
“This will be reviewed in 2022 at the earliest.
“We are unable to comment further as the case is still subject to proceedings.”