Did Chineses murder victims pay price for gambling scam?
Feb 5 2010 by Michael Kelly, The Journal
A report this week has said that British sport is open to betting scams and a special anti-corruption unit was needed to keep it in check. MIKE KELLY reports
THE motive for the savage killing of Chinese couple Zhen Xing Yang and Xi Zhou in Newcastle has never been established.
One strand of evidence heard in their murder trial said that they had been seen at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park on their mobile phones leading some to speculate they were working for a betting syndicate as part of a scam.
The scam sees calls from people at English football grounds made, for example, when a team scores. The name of the scorer is relayed to Asia and, taking advantage of the time delay in the broadcasting of the match, bets are hurriedly made.
Those in the know make a mint – millions are won and lost this way – while the bookmakers lose out, and don’t take too kindly to being ripped off this way.
Xi Zhou was beaten to death with a hammer as was her boyfriend who also had his throat cut in August 2008. Their killer Guang Hui Cao was jailed for life and has never revealed to police the motive for his crime.
It has been speculated that they were killed because of an involvement in the multi-million-pound gambling industry, and for author Neil Humphreys the case had echoes of his experiences while working in Asia.
“If there were two cockroaches crossing a carpet, they’d bet on which got to the end first,” he said. “It’s hard to explain fully how much gambling is ingrained on the national consciousness there unless you see it for yourself. It’s huge business and the bookies are ruthless.
“For example there was a lad from Yorkshire who played in the Singapore S League who was attacked at his home by a gang with hockey sticks just to stop him playing a game in case he helped his team win.”
The problem isn’t a localised one to Asia as the betting gangs there have influence worldwide. It is something a proposed multi-sport corruption unit, if it comes about, would have to keep a close eye on.
Perhaps the best known match fixing case involved goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. In November 1994 he was accused by a British tabloid newspaper of match fixing during his time at Liverpool to benefit a betting syndicate, after being caught on videotape discussing match-fixing.
