Chinese student charged with murder

A 25-YEAR-OLD Chinese national arrested on Sunday in connection with the death of Chinese student Xiang Yi Wang was last night brought before a special sitting of the District Court in Bray and charged with her murder.

Hua Yu Feng, a student originally from Ms Wang's hometown of Fuxing City but with an address at 4 The Woods, The Fairways, Woodbrook Glen, Bray, Co Wicklow, was escorted into court with his head covered by a jacket. He was accompanied by a male friend and stood composed with an interpreter beside him as details of his arrest were given before Judge Donnchadh Ó Buachalla. Several friends of Ms Wang sat crying in the public gallery.

Arresting officer Detective Sergeant Patrick Campbell told the court that when he charged the accused with murdering Ms Wang at The Valley, Woodbrook, County Dublin, on July 4 last, he replied "no." Judge Ó Buachalla remanded the accused in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court this Friday. He was granted legal aid with representation by Garret Sheehan and company solicitors.

Meanwhile, Ms Wang's devastated parents are facing impossible bills for their stay in Ireland and journey home with their daughter's remains.

Dejiu Wang and Qin Xue Xiu, who travelled here with an aunt and uncle, incurred costs for flights and paperwork thought to exceed €6,000 more than the average annual income in China. Residents of the Woodbrook Glen estate in Bray, Co Wicklow, where Xiang Yi, known to her Irish friends as Linda, lived until she was stabbed to death in adjacent parkland two weeks ago, are now organising fundraising events to pay off her parents' bills.

They are holding a table quiz this Thursday night in the Coach Inn in the town, by which time they hope to know the full extent of the couple's debts and set in train an ongoing fundraising campaign until they are cleared. Donations or other offers of help can be made to Woodbrook Glen resident Maura McKeon on 087-9803763.

"They got some assistance from the embassy, but they had to travel across China first before flying here and they have hotel bills and visa and other costs in addition to the flights," said Ms McKeon.

"These people have very little everything they had went into Linda's education. That was all-important to them."