Adelaide businessman Wenxiong Huang jailed for kidnapping and torturing the employee of a man who scammed him out of $2m

WHEN Adelaide businessman Wenxiong Huang was scammed out of $2 million by a customer, he kidnapped an innocent man and hoisted him on a forklift before torturing him for hours with “an ammunition belt of screws”.

An example of an ammunition belt for a screw gun.

AN Adelaide businessman who kidnapped the employee of a man who scammed him out of more than $2 million, then tortured the victim with a plank of wood and an ammunition belt of screws, will serve almost a year and a half in prison.

Wenxiong Huang, 27, was found guilty by a jury of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated causing harm for the violent incident at his Thebarton business on May 20, 2016.

Judge Stephen McEwen said during sentencing last week that Huang had detained his victim for between five and six hours in an attempt to make the man reveal the location of his former employer.

Huang had operated a successful construction business called Sunshine Sky, employing numerous employees and subcontractors to renovate retail premises.

The court heard that one of his major customers was a man named Rui Yang.

Huang had carried out several shop fittings and renovations for Mr Yang — but the relationship turned sour when Mr Yang disappeared while still owing Huang as much as $2 million.

The deception caused Huang’s business to collapse in 2016.

In an attempt to find out where his former customer had gone, Huang and an accomplice — who remains on the run — lured one of Mr Yang’s worker to the business premises under the pretence of setting up a computer.

When the man arrived he had hot water thrown on him before he was dragged across to the warehouse part of the business.

There the two men placed their victim in a safety harness and hoisted him up using a forklift.

Now hanging, the victim was beaten with a plank of wood and a screw belt, which was described to the court as an ammunition belt containing screws for an automatic screw gun.

The victim was released when Huang was satisfied he didn’t know where his former employer was.

He sustained extensive bruises and cuts as well as distinctive injuries from the screw belt.

“Huang’s denial of any such assaults was not surprisingly rejected by the jury, especially given the irrefutable evidence of the injuries sustained,” Judge McEwen said.

He added that it was even less surprising that the jury rejected the defence hypothesis that the victim “opportunistically self-inflicted the injuries, for some opaque motive”.

Judge McEwen said Huang believed the victim had substantial knowledge of Mr Yang’s movements, but the victim maintained he was only a “coolie” or menial worker.

The judge praised Huang’s work ethic and said the offending was out of character, considering he had no other criminal record.

“Huang is plainly a hardworking, conscientious and resourceful man who quickly established a very successful business against considerably adverse conditions,” Judge McEwen said.

Huang was sentenced to two years and 11 months in jail, which took into account time already spent in prison and on home detention bail.

A non-parole period of 17 months was ordered, making him eligible for parole towards the end of 2019.