KITCHENER — A Chinese national convicted of trying to kill his ex-girlfriend was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday.

"The attack was terrifying and brutal," Justice Gary Hearn said in sentencing Yiyan Xie, 21, for the attempted murder of Yiyang Hao, a University of Waterloo student.

"A penitentiary term is appropriate."

Xie's defence lawyer, Hal Mattson, asked for a sentence of two years less a day to ensure his client doesn't face the death penalty if he gets retried for the crime when deported to China. He worried that a long sentence might "red-flag" Xie for death.

Mattson convinced Hearn to twice adjourn sentencing as he tried to find out what will happen to Xie in China.

On Friday, Mattson said he is satisfied China won't treat attempted murder as murder and Hearn, relying on letters from experts, said it appears Xie won't face death.

But in the end, a Canadian court has no control over how China will deal with him, the judge said.

On Sept. 23, 2013, Xie grabbed 21-year-old Hao, stuck his fingers in her mouth so she couldn't scream, dragged her into a wooded area near her residence on Quiet Place in Waterloo and cut her neck with a knife. She later said she thought she was going to die.

When he lost the knife, he went to his car, got another knife and slashed his wrists and neck in a suicide attempt. Hearn said it's ironic that Hao, the victim, saved Xie's life by applying pressure to his wounds.

Hearn gave Xie two years of credit for pretrial custody, leaving him five years to serve. Xie got a six-month sentence for criminal harassment, which will be served concurrently.

Hearn said "it was only good luck" that Hao wasn't killed. Her wool coat may have minimized the injury. Her wound required stitches. Xie's injuries were worse. He severed an artery and spent a few days in hospital.

Friends before they began dating, Xie and Hao came from China together to attend high school in Toronto and later went to university there. Hao broke off the relationship while she was in China in summer 2013 and transferred to the University of Waterloo to get away from him.

Xie took the breakup badly and threatened her in a series of emails.

In one, he wrote: "You'll have to promise to never leave me … Either agree or die."

In another, he wrote: "I will kill you with a knife and then commit suicide. I am going to put this into action now."

Hearn said the attack was planned and deliberate. Xie bought knives, rented a car, drove from Toronto, parked on her street and waited for her to leave her house to catch a bus.

The judge rejected Mattson's contention that it was not a domestic relationship. Hearn made it clear that people are entitled to break off relationships and suffer no repercussions.

Prosecutor Melanie Sopinka sought a prison sentence of nine to 12 years.

Xie's father, Shaobei Xie, travelled from China to take the stand at his son's sentencing hearing in August. He shouldered the blame for the attack.

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"As parents, we are responsible," he said. "We neglected his social development. After he left the country, we didn't give him enough attention and care."

Xie, wearing glasses, a hoodie and running shoes, showed no reaction to Hearn's sentence.

"Good luck, Mr. Xie," the judge told him as Xie was led off to jail.