(Live updates were given by Chris Slater)
The trial of Ming Jiang, accused of murdering his friend, dismembering his body, and leaving the torso in a suitcase in a lay-by in Derbyshire is set to continue this morning. Mr Jiang, from Falconwood Way in Beswick , east Manchester, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Yang Liu. Mr Jiang, 42, was arrested after a headless and limbless corpse was discovered in the burnt suitcase in a lay-by just off the A628 Woodhead Pass , near Tintwistle in Derbyshire, in October last year. It was identified later as that of Mr Liu. He was 36 and lived at Salford Quays in Salford. The jury at Minshull Street Crown Court were yesterday told Mr Jiang killed 36 year-old Yang Liu and assumed his identity in order to access his money and pay off his gambling debts.
Prosecutor Peter Wright QC is resuming his opening of the case.
Mr Jiang ‘found with Mr Liuâs phone and passport, court hears
Mr Wright says Ming Jiang was arrested as he attended the 235 Casino on Watson Street in Manchester city centre. He says he not only had on him his own phone, but Yang Liuâs phone and the dead manâs passport. He tells the jury: âYou will hear evidence consistent with this man using both of them, after the disappearance of Yang Liu. He was in fact using the phone purporting to be Yang Liu.â He says this was all part of his plan âto drain his bank accounts and try and sell his apartmentâ in Salford Quays.
Victims blood found in Mr Jiang’s flat, court hears
After his arrest crime scene officers went to search Mr Jiangâs flat on Falconwood Way, off Ashton Old Road in Beswick, east Manchester. Mr Wright yesterday told the jury this is where the prosecution say Mr Liu was most likely murdered and his body dismembered. He says: âIn and around the flat there was evidence of an extensive clean-up operation having been undertaken. But there were still traces of blood, the dead manâs man blood.â
Police also found a mop, containing traces of blood and the sofa covers had been removed in an attempt to clean them, Mr Wright says. However there were areas were blood had seeped through he adds. âAny clean-up had been only partial, and therefore only partially successfulâ, Mr Wright says.
Traces of blood were found on the defendantâs jeans, cap, sandals and bomber jacket. A box was also found on the kitchen table which contained a bloodied hand print – the blood being Mr Liuâs and the print matching that of the defendant.
Court told of ‘impressive array of cleaning products’ in the flat
Mr Wright is now talking about blood found in Mr Jiangâs bathroom. He says dismemberment of Mr Liuâs body âhad taken place somwhere, and what better place to conduct such an exercise than a bathroom.â He says there was âwhat we would say was quite an impressive array of cleaning products in this one bed flat.â He adds: âWhoever was doing the clean-up may not have realised how much scientific evidence had been left for forensic analysis.â
Defendant bought ÂŁ178,000 of casino chips in days after victim’s disappearance, court hears
Mr Wright says a financial investigation into Mr Jiang was then carried out and thatâs when âthe extent of his gambling habits were revealed.â He says from October 6, the day after the last sighting of Yang Liu, and October 20, the day Ming Jiang was arrested, he had bough chips worth ÂŁ178,000 from the 235 Casino.
âNot bad for a man being chased by all manner of debt collectorsâ Mr Wright says.
He goes on to say Mr Jiang had previously racked up losses of ÂŁ273,115 at two Manchester casinos, Genting and 235. He says between April and June 2016 Mr Jiang had debts he was struggling to pay and had pawned a number of expensive watches worth ÂŁ15,000. However he says during the period of Mr Liuâs disappearance he âappeared to have a change of fortuneâ and bought one of the watches back.
Mr Jiang told police he was in a relationship with victim
Ming Jiang told police in interview that he and Mr Liu that they were both gay and in a gay relationship âso as to explain his involvement some of Yang Liuâs activities and why he had many of the dead manâs possessions.â He also claimed they were considering entering into a civil partnership. But Mr Wright says: âItâs all a smokescreen and itâs all untrue.If they were in a relationship, why didnât he know where his flat was?â he adds. âSurely the first thing youâd ask your partner, where do you go every evening? Where do you live? Shall I come round and see you?â Mr Wright references an incident in which the prosecution allege Mr Jiang tried to get a casino staff member to tell him the address. There was also an enquiry made to a property company in Mr Liuâs name asking to value an apartment, but it wasnât his.
Defendant requested Land Registry deeds to victim’s flat, court hears
The prosecution say Ming Jiang used Yang Liuâs money to request the Land Registry deeds to his flat, so he could sell it. They were asked to be sent to an email address which started mastertalent@ and which was owned by the defendant. âThis man has few talents, and does not deserve such an email address, you may surmise upon hearing the evidence in this caseâ Mr Wright says. âHe has an overblown sense of his own abilities.â  Mr Jiang told police Mr Liu would offer disappear with older, gay Chinese men he had met online and leave Mr Jiang in his flat and with his belongings. However Mr Wright says âthe only person taking part in such conduct was in fact defendant.â He says he had arranged to meet one man on the night of October 9, the night before Mr Liuâs body was found, but he cancelled as he âhad other things to doâ.
Prosecution alleges Mr Jiang met estate agent to discuss sale of victim’s flat
Ming Jiang was also making plans to leave his flat on Falconwood Way, the court is told. âOnce he had done the clean-up, he was outâ Mr Wright says. He says he started making enquiries about getting a new flat in north Manchester or nearer the city centre. The jury are told an estate agent met a man, who they allege was Mr Jiang pretending to be Mr Liu, at the flat, to discuss its sale as he âwanted to go back to China.â The agent says the man he met was âvery fidgety, very rushed, not interested in me at all, and wanted a quick sale.â Between October 10-15 the defendant was also found to have arranged and paid for the freighting of seven boxes of possessions to an address in Shangha, the court hears.
Mr Jiang ‘changed his account on a number of occasions’, court hears
After his arrest, Mr Jiang was interviewed over a period of two days. âHe changed his account on a number of occasionsâ the court is told. âYou may well conclude this defendant is a man willing to fit the facts to any account which would conceal his involvement in the murderâ Mr Wright adds. He also said he was in a relationship with Mr Liu, who he was an escort and often went off with older men for sex. He said when he did, he left his phone, passport, and other belongings with him. Asked about his presence near the lay-by he said he had attempted to drive to Sheffield for a poker game but had to turn back on the Wooodhead Pass. âHow convenientâ Mr Wright says.
When the discovery of blood in his car and flat was revealed to his legal team he first gave no comment, and then completely changed his account, and continued to change it a number of times Mr Wright says. He says he changed his version of events at least seven times. âThere is no consistency in the different permutations of his accounts, details, timings, last sightings, etcâ he says.
Prosecution conclude opening
Mr Wright dismisses the accounts given by Mr Jiang in interview and reasserts the prosecutionâs case. âWe say, the defendant lured his gambling friend to his flat, killed him and set about disposing of his body, and concealing his involvement. âHe then assumed the dead manâs identity with a view to solving his insatiable gambling habits and financial problems.â This was a murder done for gain in which the body of the deceased was disposed in order to claim his wealth for his own enrichment.â This was as cold and ruthless as it was calculated and compellingâ he adds. âHaving heard all the evidence, and placed it in the appropriate context, we say you can be satisfied so that youâre sure he was responsible for the murder of Yang Liu.â
That concludes the prosecution opening.
The trial is now adjourned with the the jury set to hear the first evidence tomorrow morning.
Source manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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