Woman was 'decapitated while still alive'

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23992739-401,00.html

A STUDENT whose dismembered corpse was dumped in the River Thames in London, most likely had her head hacked off while she was still alive, a court was told today.

The headless and handless body of Xie Xingxing, 23, was found floating in the South Dock Marina in London, the Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, was told.

Noor Mohd-Yusoff, 22, a Malaysian woman, and her Vietnamese-origin boyfriend Lon Gian, 26, both deny murdering the graduate.

Belfast-born Gian also denies perverting the course of justice by disposing of the body. Chanh Ngo, from Vietnam, may have participated in the killing but has since fled Britain, prosecutor Brian Altman told the jury.

A couple living on a boat in the marina found Xie's body on April 19 last year in a laundry bag floating among the boats, and on June 8 a decapitated head wrapped in bin bags washed up close by, Altman said.

"The head was later proved scientifically to be the head to the recovered body. The dismembered hands have never been recovered," he told the jury.

"These quite grim and gruesome discoveries led unsurprisingly to a massive murder investigation by the police."

Xie had been stabbed more than once in the neck two days before her body was discovered, Mr Altman said.

"According to the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination, the cutting of the neck to remove the head was likely to have been done whilst she was still alive."

It was also quite possible that she was incapacitated by cocaine consumption at the time of her death, he said.

Xie came to study in Britain in 2002. She returned to China afterwards but came back to Britain and worked in a karaoke bar at the time of her death, the court heard.

Mr Altman said jealousy of Xie on Ms Mohd-Yusoff's part could have been a murder motive.

A theft from her and Mr Gian's home in New Cross, southeast London, during a house party Xie attended, could also have been a motive, he said.

The recent brutal stabbing murders of two French students took place in the same low-rent suburb.

The "savage murder" of Xie must have been carried out by at least the two defendants and probably also Mr Ngo, Mr Altman said.

Evidence suggested the "dreadful" murder took place at the couple's home and that both defendants were there as she was killed and dismembered, he said.

There was also mobile phone evidence that Mr Gian was involved in disposing of the body parts, Mr Altman said.

The trial continues tomorrow.
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