Zhaoyan Li became infatuated with the man, who cannot be named, after she heard him speak at a careers event
An accountant stalked a lecturer and followed him to church clubs and fitness boot camps, a court heard.
Zhaoyan Li became infatuated with the man, who cannot be named, after she heard him speak at a careers event.
The 40-year-old then started to attend church and even gate-crashed his fitness classes, ‘appearing from the shadows’ when a group picture needed to be taken.
She bombarded him with texts, calls and emails, which eventually led to the devout Christian saving her contact details under the name ‘Dirty Pervert’ on his phone.
He was terrified she had booked herself onto his holiday so she could continue to be with him.
The victim, 38, went into hiding and felt forced into a life of solitude, distressed to answer his office phone.
Li claims her conduct does not amount to stalking and is appealing her conviction.
Judge Anne Molyneux, QC, summarising Li’s position, said: ‘It is not accepted her conduct amounted to stalking’.
Li, who currently lives in the Canary Wharf area of east London, has been convicted of stalking the man between February 1, 2017 and September 13 last year.
During the hearing Li told the City of London Magistrates Court she may kill herself if she is sentenced.
James Ross, for the prosecution, said: ‘The first meeting between the complainant and the defendant took place on 22 March 2017.’
The victim had been speaking at a Christian outreach night at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) ‘Finding Purpose In Your Career’.
‘After he spoke the defendant approached and introduced herself. On that occasion she suggested the couple go for dinner.
‘He went shopping and to Marks & Spencer and when he came out, he found Ms Li was standing outside. She approached him and asked she could talk to him..
‘He continued walking do to the Tube station. He asked her where she lived and she said East London, and he told her he was west London.
‘Not withstanding that Ms Li got on the underground train and began conversing with him.
‘At this point he was not strictly speaking alarmed.’
A few days later he went away with his church group for the weekend. Li joined a Surrey getaway hosted by the All Souls Church breakfast club.
Recalling his ordeal, he told police: ‘While I was having dinner Ms Li showed up and sat at our table.’
Mr Ross continued: ‘He was disappointed to see her because he was finding her quite annoying.
‘In order to get her to move away he squeezed her leg on a pressure point in order to send a message to her without shouting or anything public, that he was not happy with her.’
But Li claims she took this under-the-table knee squeeze as a ‘come on’ of a sexual nature.
‘He stopped going to Tuesday breakfast with the Church.’
Soon after he left the church group altogether but still received messages over Facebook.
While taking a boot camp in Hyde Park, he posted photographs of exercises on the internet.
‘On at least one occasion she offered to take group photographs. There was one occasion when she took hold of his biceps or certainly, she touched his biceps I won’t put it higher.’
After saving Ms Li on his phone as ‘Dirty Pervert’, Mr Ross explained: ‘He actually shouted out to her: ‘Don’t stand there you dirty pervert.”
On 15 December 2017 at 3am he received an email from Li reading: ‘You should apologise for calling me a dirty pervert.’
Mr Ross said: ‘The following year he was due to go on holiday with the boot camp but did not for fear Ms Li would be there.’
In one message on social media Li wrote: ‘I want a Mr Right who loves me and cares about my feelings.’
Eventually All Souls Church banned her and the victim reported her to the police, who gave Li an official warning in January.
Li then started going to where he worked and called him on the internal extension on February 14 to say: ‘Happy Valentines’ Day’.
He told the court that the extended ordeal made even normal activities like checking email fill him with horror and dread
Eventually a panic alarm was fitted at his office and he quit the boot camp and church breakfast club after Li booked herself on their Canary Islands vacation.
He thought that there would be no getting away from her if she had turned up in Lanzarote for his eight-day trip.
If the conviction remains, Li will be sentenced instead.
The hearing continues.