Murder accused went home to sleep after killing, court told

A jury in the trial of a Chinese man accused of murdering a Chinese student heard that the accused went home and slept after the killing, which prosecution said was "indicative of a total recovery of mind of someone who lost it earlier", the Central Criminal Court heard today in prosecution's closing speech.

Hua Yu Feng (aged 27), of The Woods, Woodbrook Glen, Bray, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Xiang Yi Wang (aged 21), originally from Fuxing City, China, at Woodbrook Glen in Bray on July 4, 2003.

Ms Wang, known as "Linda", had been living with a Chinese family at The Grove, Woodbrook Glen, Bray, at the time.

Prosecuting counsel Mr Patrick James McCarthy SC addressed the jury of five women and seven men in his closing speech.

The court has heard how the accused had bought three cans of Bavaria Crown and spent some time in a local pub the night of the killing. Mr McCarthy SC told the jury that "drunkenness is not a defence in any case".

He said that blood was situated in three different places going up to where the body was found in a garden near her home. "We know there was movement," he said, adding that forensic evidence of blood loss in the cavities of her chest indicated that she died some minutes after the stabbing.

"I suggest that this lady was ambulant at the time," he said.

In a statement read to the jury, Feng said he had carried the deceased, but Mr McCarthy dismissed this as "absurd".

"The inference was that she was running, or seeking to move away, from the accused," he said.

"We have a person armed with a deadly weapon, who happens to lose his self-control. This is a coincidence that doesn't bear thinking about," Mr McCarthy added.

He told the jury the accused had a steak knife with him, which he had brought from his home.

The blood-staining on the clothing of the accused is considerable. Prosecution said that Feng could have attempted to take his own life in remorse.

"But deep, deep remorse of killing someone you loved is inevitable, unless that person is made of stone. And this man was not of stone," Mr McCarthy added.

The accused fell asleep in his own bed on the night of the killing, the jury has heard. "On a human level, that is an extraordinary state of affairs, indicative of a total recovery of mind of someone who had lost it earlier," he said.

The accused was asked in a Garda interview what his intentions were with the knife, to which he replied: "Maybe I wanted to do something very bad, but I did not want to kill Linda at that moment."

"So we have a man going around with a knife wanting to 'maybe do something very bad'," prosecution said.

Mr McCarthy said: "This man should be convicted of murder."

Prosecution concluded the closing speech today and defence is expected to begin its closing speech tomorrow.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Butler.