Police hunt for couple’s killer moves to London

Aug 21 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

THE investigation into the murder of two Chinese graduates beaten to death in their home in Newcastle is moving to London.

Xi Zhou and her boyfriend Zhen Xing Yang, both 25, suffered severe head injuries in their flat in Newcastle’s West End on August 9 when they were attacked with a knife and another sharp weapon.

Now police are planning to hold a news conference at Charing Cross police station in London tomorrow.

Det Supt Steve Wade, who is leading the inquiry for Northumbria Police, will be giving an update into the investigation. Both Mandarin and Cantonese translators will be present.

Earlier this week detectives revealed an unknown man may hold clues to finding out who is responsible and appealed for him to come forward.

The Chinese man was sub-letting a room with the Newcastle University graduates in their ground-floor flat in Croydon Road, Fenham.

It has emerged that Mr Yang may have been involved in an internet betting scam and may have used forged documents to gain a place at Newcastle University.

He had been tortured before he was hacked and stabbed to death, and the couple’s cat was drowned by their killers.

The Journal revealed last week that internet users on UK-based Mandarin websites had identified Mr Yang as a recruitment agent for a gambling racket which relied on the results of live Premier League football games being shown a couple of minutes later in China to beat the bookies.

Detectives are checking the murdered couple’s bank accounts for possible withdrawals by their killers.

Detectives want to know if Mr Yang was tortured for details of any cash or profits of alleged internet and forgery scams being stashed away.

Det Supt Wade said he was keeping an open mind about a motive. “Inquiries are continuing into allegations of internet betting scams and the obtaining of fraudulent university qualifications. However, our inquiries thus far do not reveal the couple’s involvement in major criminality and their lifestyle and finances are not what could be expected of anyone involved in organised crime.”

Police have also set up an email address for people to email directly Northumbria Police. The address is northumbriapolice@ymail.com

This has been established to allow people to contact Northumbria Police and they can leave messages in their chosen language.

Chinese help

CHINESE detectives have been drafted in to assist police investigating the double murder.

And lead officer Det Supt Steve Wade is also on the verge of making a direct appeal to the Chinese community this Friday.

It comes 12 days after the couple were brutally murdered in their ground-floor flat Croydon Road, Fenham, Newcastle.

Police are stepping up their investigation by liaising with community leaders on Tyneside to find vital clues.

Det Supt Wade said: "We have officers seconded from the Metropolitan Police in London, and one from Hong Kong, who are talking to Chinese community leaders on Tyneside.

"We knew little about the local criminal networks within the Chinese community, but now more information is being made available which will greatly assist the murder inquiry.

"I will be using the Chinese media to talk to people through an interpreter."