Robert Xie's wife urged the Lin family accused to stay at murder scene
September 8, 2014 - 3:30PM
Stephanie Gardiner
Reporter
Amid frantic cries and screams to triple-0 operators in the moments after she found the beaten bodies of her extended family, Kathy Lin allegedly pleaded with her husband to stay with her, saying "I am more scared than you are".
Three emotional triple-0 calls Ms Lin made on the morning of July 18, 2009, were on Monday played at the murder trial of her husband, Lian Bin "Robert" Xie.
Mr Xie, 50, is alleged to have murdered his brother-in-law Mr Lin, 45, Mr Lin's wife, Yun "Lily" Li Lin, 44, their young sons Henry and Terry, and Lily's sister, Yun Bin "Irene" Lin, 39 in the family's North Epping house. He has pleaded not guilty.
In one of the calls, the emergency operator has trouble getting information from Ms Lin, telling her firmly: "Don't scream, just answer my questions" and "What's wrong, what's wrong?"
Ms Lin is heard to say: "I think someone died. I'm not sure", before saying she thinks someone has killed her brother's family.
According to a transcript of the calls interpreter Albert Au prepared for the Crown, some of which is disputed by Mr Xie's defence, Ms Lin can also be heard speaking in Cantonese, asking Mr Xie to stay with her at the house.
"You stay here! ... Bin, you stay here... Wait, wait a bit," she said, according to the Crown transcript.
According to the document provided to the jury, Mr Xie can later be heard to say "I do not need to be here".
At another point, Mr Xie allegedly says "scared eh" and Ms Lin replies: "Doesn't matter, You, you be quick. How do you look at this, huh? At the time when I rang you I was in agony, in agony. I'm more scared than you are."
The document says a car engine can be heard revving and driving away, as Ms Lin says "No way! You! I am more scared than you are!"
Mr Xie's defence barrister, Graham Turnbull, SC, put it to Mr Au that he had transcribed parts of the calls that were, in fact, inaudible.
Under cross-examination, Mr Au agreed he had made several differing transcripts.
Mr Au also acknowledged that he knew about the Lin family murders before he worked on the case as a translator, as it was "famous" in the Chinese community.
"You got the opportunity to be in a most famous case ... no doubt you were only too keen to help?" Mr Turnbull asked.
Mr Au replied: "I wouldn't say that. I would rather be out of it. I hate high-profile."
The trial continues before Justice Peter Johnson.
http://www.watoday.com.au/nsw/rober...-to-stay-at-murder-scene-20140908-10e1cj.html