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A MAN who raped and murdered a real estate agent in a house she was selling says he wants the death penalty. Shaoyi Liu, 36, of Sydenham, has been found guilty of the rape and murder of Lorelle Makin, 48. Ms Makin's body was found in a house for sale in Melton on September 15 last year. Liu's lawyer, Benjamin Lindner, yesterday told the Supreme Court his client did not agree with the jury's verdict, but did acknowledge he was responsible for killing the Melbourne mother. "He believes he should receive the death penalty, as he would in China," Mr Lindner told the pre-sentence hearing. Reading from a psychological report on Liu, Mr Lindner said: "The only punishment he perceives to be appropriate is to take his life." But he also asked the court not give his client a crushing sentence of life imprisonment. He said Liu could face deportation to China on his release from jail, after being granted permission to stay under Australia's response to the Tiananmen Square massacre. Liu has received no personal visitors in jail since his arrest on September 16 last year. After the murder, he called his former girlfriend and told her she should change their daughter's name because news of his crime would get out. Mr Lindner said his client was a lonely man who had advertised for a companion. Reading extracts from Liu's diary penned in the days before the murder, Mr Lindner said his client went to the Epping Hotel to seek company but had one drink and left. Liu wrote: "I wonder, how do people make new friends these days." Mr Lindner said Liu had not planned to kill Ms Makin. But prosecutor Geoffrey Horgan, SC, said Liu had shown no remorse for his actions and was a great risk of offending again. Liu, who watched sadistic pornography, planned to rape Ms Makin, Mr Horgan said. "There's no indication it won't happen again," he said. "There is no remorse demonstrated in this case whatsoever." Mr Horgan said Liu's acknowledgment meant nothing and that the reason for his crime had never been adequately explained. He called for a "very heavy" non-parole period of at least 20 years. Justice John Coldrey said he did not expect to sentence Liu until next year. ~ AAP Herald SUn (13-12-2006) Kate Lahey |
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A MAN bashed, raped and strangled a real estate agent in a house for sale she was showing him around, a court heard yesterday. Shaoyi Liu, 36, told police he had an explosion of anger and choked Lorelle Makin, 48, at an unoccupied house in Milverton St, Melton, on September 15 last year. Ms Makin's naked body was found covered with a garbage bag by police, who were alerted by concerned colleagues and her daughter. A Supreme Court jury heard Ms Makin left her Melton office and took the short drive to the house to meet Mr Liu about midday. Prosecutor Geoff Horgan, SC, told the court Mr Liu arranged the meeting on the pretext of viewing the property but intended to rape and kill the mother of two. The pair had been in contact since late June, with Mr Liu inquiring about houses he did not have the finances to buy, the court heard. Mr Horgan said Mr Liu, a martial arts instructor, attacked Ms Makin in the upstairs bathroom, wrapping a tape gag around her mouth and stripping her below the waist. The court heard Ms Makin had bruises on her face and genitals, and had died from being manually choked. Mr Horgan said Mr Liu left the estate agent's body in the house and stole her car, dumping it at a nearby golf club. He then walked to his own car. When Ms Makin failed to return to her Elders office colleagues used her work diary to track her movements to the Milverton St house, where her body was found about 7pm. The court heard Mr Liu made a series of phone calls that afternoon and evening to former partner Maree Swan saying he had done something he couldn't change. Mr Horgan said Mr Liu was in a state of anguish about the enormity of what he had done when he told Ms Swan: "I snapped. I had an uncontrollable rage. I was choking her." The court heard Mr Liu packed two suitcases and headed for the airport the next day after disposing of his bloodied clothes and the tape in a Flinders Lane garbage bin. He turned back after a phone conversation with his mother in China, and was preparing to hand himself in when arrested. The jury was played sections of Mr Liu's record of interview in which he described his struggle with Ms Makin. "There was this sudden anger that burst out from me," he said. "I just exploded. I remember I put a choke on her." Mr Liu denied the attack had anything to do with a sexual attraction he had towards Ms Makin, describing her instead as a "very nice lady". Mr Liu, of Sydenham, has pleaded not guilty to murder and rape. Defence lawyer Benjamin Lindner said much of the evidence at the trial would not be in issue. He said Mr Liu was not guilty because he had not succeeded in raping Ms Makin and had not intended to kill her. The trial before Justice John Coldrey was to continue. Herald Sun (21-11-2006) Katie Lapthorne |
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A MAN was last night charged with the murder and rape of a real estate agent and mother-of-two who was found strangled in a bathroom. The body of Lorelle Makin, 48, was found on Thursday in an empty Melton house that was for sale. Shaoyi Liu, 35, from Sydenham was arrested in an office block in central Melbourne yesterday. Police later charged him with one count of murder and one count of rape. He was remanded in custody to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday. Police said Ms Makin, who also lived in Melton, had been strangled. The Elders Real Estate agent went alone to Milverton St, Melton, for the appointment at the vacant two-storey house. Her worried colleagues contacted police when she did not turn up for a later appointment. Police found Mrs Makin's body face down in an upstairs bathroom. Mrs Makin's blue 1998 Holden Commodore, believed to have been driven from the scene by the killer, was found abandoned at nearby Melton Valley Golf Club. It is believed the caller who booked Wednesday's inspection was not known to Mrs Makin. There was nothing in her diary to indicate who had made the call. Police arrested a man in an office building in Queen St in the city yesterday. He was held on the floor and restrained by police officers who swooped just after noon. The man was last night being questioned by homicide squad detectives. Mrs Makin was a fanatical St Kilda fan who had a seat reserved for last night's preliminary final between her team and Sydney. "Lorelle was a passionate member of the St Kilda family. Our thoughts are with her family," a club spokeswoman said. Mrs Makin's colleagues at Elders and gym-mates at the Melton Waves recreation centre were in mourning for a woman described as loving and caring. "Lorelle has been a very much respected and long-term employee who all staff certainly miss," said an emotional Elders director Tim Farnan. "She was a fantastic lady." Mrs Makin was separated from her husband, Terry, and lived at Brookfield with her children Samantha, 24, and John, 21. Her children did not want to comment on the tragedy. Samantha said in a text message to a neighbour: "Hi. Can you let everyone know in the street that we are all together and we appreciate their support and we will chat when we are ready. Thanks." Neighbours said Mrs Makin successfully combined her real estate work with being a great mother. She would do a work-out with Samantha each morning and regularly attended St Kilda games with John. "She lived for her kids," neighbour Kerry said. "Samantha and her mum were the best of friends." The Milverton St property's owner, John Handley, was called to his house by colleagues of Mrs Makin and asked to bring his keys because she was missing. Police, Mrs Makin's son and daughter and representatives of the real estate agency were at the home when Mr Handley arrived. He handed the keys to police, who went inside. "I was braced for the worst when I got there," Mr Handley said. "They didn't tell us anything but you don't have to be Einstein to work out when they start putting up crime-scene tape that they've found a body," he said. "No ambulance was called so it had to be a dead body." Herald Sun (17-9-2005) Mark Buttler/ Anthony Dowsley/ Ellen Whinnett |
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