Ruijiu Ma: Croydon Park builder sentenced over WeChat threats to Gordon family

An enraged builder used WeChat to threaten to kill a client and her family, messaging: “(I’ll) kill all your family … tomorrow is your last day, f--k you”. Find out why he sent the disturbing threat.

Ruijiu Ma leaving Hornsby Local Court on November 23, 2022 after being convicted of using a carriage service threatening to kill.

An enraged builder threatened to kill a client and her family, messaging “I’ll decide to kill all your family … tomorrow is your last day, f*** you” after a dispute over a deposit for an electric fence he had installed.

On Wednesday Croydon Park man Ruijiu Ma, 47, fronted Hornsby Local Court after pleading guilty to using the messaging application WeChat to threaten to kill and intimidating a woman with the intention of causing her to fear physical harm.

Documents tendered to court lay out how this 47-year-old builder and father of three, who until this year had never been in trouble with the law, found himself threatening to kill a client and her family.

The court heard Xiahong Chen messaged Ma on WeChat in June to install an electric sliding gate and swimming pool fence at her Gordon home on Sydney’s upper north shore.

According to court records, Ma quoted $25,500 and asked for a $10,000 deposit, to which Ms Chen agreed.

Ruijiu Ma appeared at Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: David Swift

“On July 31, (Ma) advised Ms Chen the gate would be ready to be installed on Wednesday,” police facts state. “This was a shock to (Ms Chen) as no sketch was provided of the design of the gate.”

When the gate was installed by Ma’s employees, Ms Chen claimed the style of the fence did not match a previous design, the court heard.

Ms Chen continued to discuss the fence pricing with Ma and in one September phone call the builder said: “How dare you say like this? Wait and see. I’ll let you know at the time the Chinese bully the Chinese,” court documents state.

Soon after the phone call, on September 20, Ma messaged Ms Chen on WeChat, writing: “You’re arrogant, tomorrow you don’t give me money, I’ll decide to kill all your family in the future, tomorrow is your last day, f*** you.”

After Ms Chen contacted police, Ma confirmed he sent the messages on WeChat and said he was angry about being owed money for the deposit, a court heard.

In court, Magistrate Alexander Mijovich said Ma’s early guilty pleas and lack of criminal record were signs of his good character, but said the builder’s threats were bizarre even if Ma was allegedly owed $10,000.

“You cannot resort to threatening someone’s family … (and why would you do it) over a debt because you won’t earn any money in jail,” Mr Mijovich said.

Mr Mijovich convicted Ma of both offences and fined him $750 for each — $1500 in total.

“Please, in the future, if you have any civil debts speak to a solicitor and find out what you need to do,” Mr Mijovich advised as Ma left the courtroom.