Victim’s last mobile phone call probed

Aug 15 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

MURDERED Zhen Xing Yang made what police think was his last mobile phone call lass than 48 hours before he was found dead.

On Saturday afternoon, the body of the Chinese national was discovered with massive head injuries in a pool of blood at the Fenham flat that he shared with his girlfriend, who was also murdered.

Now detectives investigating the murder are keen to trace the subject of a mobile phone call Zhen Xing Yang, also known as Kevin, made in the early hours of Thursday morning.

He called another mobile number at 12.42am on August 7 – the day girlfriend Xi Zhou, also known as Ci Ci, was last seen.

Officers last night said they were checking the dialled number alongside billing records.

Detective Superintendent Steve Wade, leading the investigation, said he and his team were studying several mobile phones found in the ground floor Tyneside flat in Croydon Road in a bid to trace the last movements of the murdered couple.

He said: “We are keen to speak with anyone who may have been in contact with either of the two victims in the days before their deaths.

“We are currently checking mobile phone records in order to tie down times of death and it would be of assistance to us if those people who spoke to them could contact us.

“We have recovered a number of mobile phones at 8 Croydon Road, but would like to know if there are any more mobile telephone numbers which people have for the couple.”

Officers working on the double murder inquiry are working with experts from other police forces across Britain to help track down the killer.

And they have consulted colleagues from the Metropolitan Police in London to help translate data found on internet sites and the couple’s computer from Mandarin.

Mr Wade said: “Our officers have the support of forces across the country in their efforts to bring the killer or killers of Xi Zhou and Zhen Xing Yang to justice.”

After appealing for information yesterday, police have now traced Zhen Xing Yang’s friend Fan Zhang, a PhD economics student at Newcastle University.

Yesterday also saw the results of a post-mortem examination on the couple’s dead cat released by police.

The black and white cat was found in the bathroom of the ground-floor flat in a washing bowl underneath a sink.

The washing bowl had been filled with water. Resting on top of the bowl, concealing the body of the cat, was towelling and kitchen gloves.

It is believed that the cat was drowned recently, probably in the washing up bowl in which it was found.

When the animal was discovered in the flat, officers said they hoped DNA testing could help provide vital clues to tracking down the killer.

It is thought the cat might have scratched whoever was trying to kill it and could have traces of their blood on its claws.

Mr Wade said: “Given the recent nature of the cat’s death and where it was found, it is reasonable to assume that those responsible for the two murders also killed the cat.”

Every second counts in online world of high-stakes gambling

AN online gambling expert said syndicates were using operatives to transmit information from inside games in an attempt to beat the bookies.

David Folker, general manager of Football Dataco, said: "At the moment the single largest growth area for sports betting is in what is called in-game betting, where you place a bet on an event which is happening inside the game."

The boss of the company, which manages intellectual property owned by the Premier League, Football League, Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League, said: "For in-game betting to work, a bookmaker needs information on what is happening in the game as quickly as possible and will have people at the game or watching television whose job it is to provide it with information from the games.

"If someone can get information from the game to a gambling syndicate before the bookie gets his information, they can beat the bookie.

"It is vital the person who is trying to fiddle the bets get information before the bookie for the scheme to work, if the bookmaker is situated in a foreign time zone then this can be a disadvantage to the bookie.

"So if I’m at a game on my mobile telephone I can transmit a signal from the phone and it becomes a question of whose technology is better – the punter or the bookie. It is a matter of gaining a few milliseconds advantage.

"But it can still work. It depends on how good the bookmaker is and how good his systems are."

Mr Folker said the Far East was the biggest betting market in the world. wagering $1bn<crct> a week on football, with 50% of it on the Premiership.

Dr Mark Griffiths, professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University, said: "Certainly the Chinese are big gamblers.

"It’s very much embedded in their culture.

"But they like to keep their problems within the community."

Betting culture

THE Chinese Mental Health Association runs the Chinese Gamcare Project to target the large problem of gambling in the community.

Perry Fung, of the London-based group, said gambling was closely linked to Chinese culture, particularly special occasions such as New Year when card games and Mah-jong are played.

He said: "They treat gambling as a fun game.

"Chinese people living in the UK can also feel stressed living a foreign life in a foreign country. They can feel isolated and are often working long hours."

Mr Fung said around 25% of the UK’s Chinese population are members of casinos.

Appeal

NORTHUMBRIA Police are appealing to the public to answer a series of questions:

Did you know Zhen Yang or Xi Zhou?

Did you see or hear from Zhen Yang or Xi Zhou last week?

Are you aware of a reason or motive for this attack?

Can you help to trace anyone visiting, living or staying at 8 Croydon Road within the last 12 months?

Did you see or hear any screams or suspicious activity coming from 8 Croydon Road last week?

Do you have any information whatsoever which could help police?

You can contact:

The Murder Incident Room on 08456 043043, ext 62832.

Northumbria Police switchboard on 08456 043043 or 03456 043043.

Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.