A Canberra man has avoided a prison sentence for a violent home invasion in which his accomplice claimed they had received training from China's special forces. Xiantao Shang, 38, was convicted of aggravated burglary and two assault charges after he and another man forced their way into a Belconnen apartment in 2023.
The pair were searching for a woman known as 'Linda', who Shang said owed him $100,000 and had stopped answering his calls. When they knocked on the door, they found a couple inside who said they did not know where the woman was. The situation escalated as the pair pushed into the home, and Shang punched the male victim and punched or pushed the female victim.
During the confrontation, Shang's accomplice told the male victim they had served in China's special forces, a claim later admitted to be false and intended to frighten the couple. Justice Verity McWilliam described the accomplice as 'losing physical control' during the attack.
In sentencing, Justice McWilliam noted the offending was an isolated incident and that Shang was entitled to leniency. She said the criminal trial and two days in custody served as sufficient punishment and personal deterrence. Shang was sentenced to one year, nine months and four days in prison, immediately suspended.
The co-accused, who pleaded guilty, was earlier sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison, also suspended, with a good behaviour order and 100 hours of community service.
