Man guilty of murdering schoolgirl at family's Chinese takeaway in Wales

A 32-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering a schoolgirl at her family’s Chinese takeaway in Wales.

Wenjing Lin – also known as Wenjing Xu – was strangled at the takeaway in Ynyswen, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on 5 March.

A jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court convicted Chun Xu of the 16-year-old’s murder and also found him guilty of attempting to murder her stepfather, Yongquan Jiang.

Ms Wenjing lived at the takeaway in Baglan Street with her mother, Meifang Xu, and Mr Jiang.

The trial heard how Xu was a heavy gambler and owed the family £14,000.

Michael Jones QC, prosecuting, told the court Xu visited the family armed with a kitchen knife, and an hour before the attacks had Googled “can fingerprints be destroyed by fire”.

When he was later questioned by a psychologist about his fitness to be questioned by police, he said: “I didn’t mean to hurt the little girl. I wanted revenge on her mother. She upset me on many times and didn’t listen to what I say.”

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Xu, also known as Little Gang, was regarded as a nephew to the mother, Ms Xu, as their parents had lived next door to each other in China, but they were not blood relations, Mr Jones added.

In December 2020, the family loaned £20,000 to Xu and he said he would send it back to China for them to pay a friend who had loaned them money to start their business in the UK.

However, Xu sent a portion of the money to China and gambled £14,000, which he had then started to pay back.

On March 4, 2021, he rang Ms Xu and asked if he could come to see them, but told her not to tell anyone about his visit.

That night they ate food together and everyone went to bed. The next morning, Mr Jones said, he “strangled to death 16-year-old Wenjing”.

After killing Ms Wenjing, Xu is said to have lured her stepfather, Mr Jiang, into the basement by asking whether he could have a piece of fish from the freezer.

In the basement, Xu began attacking Mr Jiang with two knives, stabbing him in the neck and body.

When Mr Jiang asked Xu why he was attacking him, Xu replied: “Money, money, money.”

Ms Xu then came down the basement stairs and saw the two fighting and tried to ring a friend but Xu bit her.

Mr Jiang fought Xu off and went upstairs to find his stepdaughter, Wenjing. He discovered her lying on her back by the takeaway counter.

Despite attempts by the family and then paramedics to resuscitate the teenager, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police found Xu in the kitchen, having cut his own throat. He was treated at the University Hospital of Wales before being arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

A statement from Ms Wenjing’s teacher Rhiannon Davies was read to the court during the trial.

Ms Davies, who taught Wenjing’s when she was in year 11 at Treorchy Comprehensive School, described her as an “exceptional” and “hardworking” student.

“Even on the day of her death I was made aware she had logged in for a maths lesson early in the morning,” Ms Davies said.

“She was a fantastic student and is sorely missed.”

Xu admitted to attacking Mr Jiang but denied intending to kill him or cause him serious harm.

He had pleaded guilty to Wenjing’s manslaughter and he will be sentenced on Friday at the same court.

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