By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A man arrested last year in Princeton on charges of kidnapping his girlfriend was sentenced Thursday to three years’ probation., Benjamin Li, 23, also must undergo domestic violence counseling, comply with all the conditions of his psychological evaluation and have no contact with the victim. The sentence was in line with the plea deal that Li, of Princeton, had accepted in February from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office in return for pleading guilty to third-degree theft., Li had nothing to say during his sentencing before Mercer County Superior Court Judge Timothy P. Lydon, sitting in Trenton. Li has had brushes with the law as an adult and a juvenile, said the judge in raising concern that he might commit another offense., In this case, Li was driving in the area with his 20-year-old girlfriend Nov. 28 and would not let her out of his Mercedes-Benz, police alleged at the time. Once they were in Princeton, her screams for help caught the attention of Princeton Police officer who pulled the vehicle over on Nassau Street around 11:15 p.m., Police said the girlfriend had claimed Li threatened to kill her, punched her and took her cell phone. She was not in the courtroom Thursday., The judge noted that Li suffers from “personal issues” and is seeking help. Li’s lawyer, David Oakley, said outside the courtroom that “we appreciate the understanding and fairness of the Prosecutor’s Office.
