Deceased/Not Found Italy - Li Yinglei, 36, vanished from Mediterranean cruise, 10 Feb 2017 *husband guilty*

[Niner]

Yes @ZaZara - I am leaving the alert on - you never know when I might get another alert!

And strange case - as you mentioned - her own mother is not worried about her... just $$$$

 

[pizzaman12]

Yes @ZaZara - I am leaving the alert on - you never know when I might get another alert!

And strange case - as you mentioned - her own mother is not worried about her... just $$$$

Wasn't there a falling out with the mother? Been a bit but I thought the mother not only spoke about how great of a SIL he was and would never do that, but came to live with him. I think that changed. I'll look for the article. Thanks for keeping this on your radar!

 

[Niner]

Looks like trial has started again.... But can not read the whole article as you need a subscription. @ZaZara - do you have one? If so, could you give me some good notes - you know who the witnesses were, etc. TIA if you can!
I can only see the headlines.

Ship passengers and staff to testify in trial of Daniel Belling, accused of killing his wife on Mediterranean cruise

The murder trial of a Dublin-based IT worker who is accused of killing his wife while they were on a Mediterranean cruise will hear evidence from ship passengers and staff.

www.independent.ie

Nov., 27, 2023

Ship passengers and staff to testify in trial of Daniel Belling, accused of killing his wife on Mediterranean cruise​

The German national has denied he had anything to do with her disappearance
The hearing is to resume today, with more prosecution witnesses called
The trial is taking place in Italy in Mr Belling’s absence.

The murder trial of a Dublin-based IT worker who is accused of killing his wife while they were on a Mediterranean cruise will hear evidence from ship passengers and staff.

That is all I can see...

 

[Niner]

So I shall move this from my April stuff... and hopefully get info about stuff that happened from this past Monday.

Thursday, November 30th:
*Trial continues (@ am CET) - Rome, Italy – Li Yinglei “Angie” (Xing Lei Li) (36) (Feb. 10, 2017, vanished from Mediterranean cruise, Rome; still missing) – Daniel Belling (45/now 50), DH arrested (2/11/17) on suspicion of murder; vanished off Med cruise, plead not guilty. A German citizen working in Ireland, where he has been accused of fraud. Released from prison (4/24/18). Charged (7/16/20) with 1 count of homicide & 1 count of alleged destruction of wife’s body while on cruise.
Trial began on May 10, 2022.
Faces another year in prison, while pros investigate case; Judge will decide Jan. 26, 2018, postponed. Judge gave him 6 more months of detention. April 24, 2018 was released from prison.
Court info from Feb. 11, 2017 thru Sept. 30, 2021 & Trial days Nov. 29 to Dec. 24 & May 9, 2022 reference post #118 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...se-10-feb-2017-husband-arrested.330422/page-6
4/4/23 Update: The trial is scheduled to resume mid-month in April (no date given). Trial continues on 11/27/23.
11/27/23 Monday, Trial Day: No info available. Trial continues on Tuesday, 11/28/23.
11/28/23 Tuesday, Trial Day: No info available. Trial continues on Wednesday, 11/29/23.
11/29/23 Wednesday, Trial Day: No info available. Trial continues on Thursday, 11/30/23.

 

[ZaZara]

Looks like trial has started again.... But can not read the whole article as you need a subscription. @ZaZara - do you have one? If so, could you give me some good notes - you know who the witnesses were, etc. TIA if you can!
I can only see the headlines.

Ship passengers and staff to testify in trial of Daniel Belling, accused of killing his wife on Mediterranean cruise

The murder trial of a Dublin-based IT worker who is accused of killing his wife while they were on a Mediterranean cruise will hear evidence from ship passengers and staff.

www.independent.ie

Nov., 27, 2023

Ship passengers and staff to testify in trial of Daniel Belling, accused of killing his wife on Mediterranean cruise​

The German national has denied he had anything to do with her disappearance
The hearing is to resume today, with more prosecution witnesses called
The trial is taking place in Italy in Mr Belling’s absence.

The murder trial of a Dublin-based IT worker who is accused of killing his wife while they were on a Mediterranean cruise will hear evidence from ship passengers and staff.

That is all I can see...

Why would I have a subscription to the Irish Times? Thank you for your trust in me, Niner!

Somehow you remind me of one of my dogs. He had this endless trust.... would sit down, all excited 'Ooh you are going to give me that cookie! yess! I know you will! Oooh....'
How I remember that time, long ago, when he wanted me to open the backdoor at 03.00 hrs in the morning. 'I know you are going to open the door for me... yes you are.... ooh...ooh!'

Regret to inform that this dog taught me to be strong (except with him of course )

I did take a look at the profile of the author, and she apparently works from the office, she isn't in Italy at all.
You can register to read the article, registration is free, though i must warn you that those free registrations are hard to get rid of. If you find a way to do this, please let me know.

 

[Niner]

Why would I have a subscription to the Irish Times? Thank you for your trust in me, Niner!

Somehow you remind me of one of my dogs. He had this endless trust.... would sit down, all excited 'Ooh you are going to give me that cookie! yess! I know you will! Oooh....'
How I remember that time, long ago, when he wanted me to open the backdoor at 03.00 hrs in the morning. 'I know you are going to open the door for me... yes you are.... ooh...ooh!'

Regret to inform that this dog taught me to be strong (except with him of course )

I did take a look at the profile of the author, and she apparently works from the office, she isn't in Italy at all.
You can register to read the article, registration is free, though i must warn you that those free registrations are hard to get rid of. If you find a way to do this, please let me know.

Hey you never know what subscription you might have around Europe!

Oh - now you are comparing me to your dog??!!?? -just kidding!

Well - hopefully I will get another alert & find out what is happening in this trial. I will stop posting on Friday - if I have not seen anything on it.

 

[ZaZara]

Not comparing you to a dog. Remembering the incredible trust that that dog had in me, and it is a very sweet memory. Don't get me going, I would derail this thread to the point that it starts to make sense at last.

On the other hand, my experience with free subscriptions isn't that happy and I am wary of getting another one. Italian newspapers are still sending me special offers, and it's been years....

I've seen something about in-between email adresses. Still have to figure out how that works, but it would solve the problem of registrations.

This is what Apple says: Hide My Email generates unique, random email addresses that automatically forward to your personal inbox. Each address is unique to you. You can read and respond directly to emails sent to these addresses and your personal email address is kept private.

This service has different names with different providers, if I find out how it works with mine, I will gladly register to read about this case.

 

[Niner]

Not comparing you to a dog. Remembering the incredible trust that that dog had in me, and it is a very sweet memory. Don't get me going, I would derail this thread to the point that it starts to make sense at last.

On the other hand, my experience with free subscriptions isn't that happy and I am wary of getting another one. Italian newspapers are still sending me special offers, and it's been years....

I've seen something about in-between email adresses. Still have to figure out how that works, but it would solve the problem of registrations.

This is what Apple says: Hide My Email generates unique, random email addresses that automatically forward to your personal inbox. Each address is unique to you. You can read and respond directly to emails sent to these addresses and your personal email address is kept private.

This service has different names with different providers, if I find out how it works with mine, I will gladly register to read about this case.

Not not tech suave either - so I pass on all sign ups...

 

[Niner]

And this will be the last post until we all hear something...

Friday, December 1st:
*Trial continues-LAST POST! (@ am CET) - Rome, Italy – Li Yinglei “Angie” (Xing Lei Li) (36) (Feb. 10, 2017, vanished from Mediterranean cruise, Rome; still missing) – Daniel Belling (45/now 50), DH arrested (2/11/17) on suspicion of murder; vanished off Med cruise, plead not guilty. A German citizen working in Ireland, where he has been accused of fraud. Released from prison (4/24/18). Charged (7/16/20) with 1 count of homicide & 1 count of alleged destruction of wife’s body while on cruise.
Trial began on May 10, 2022.
Faces another year in prison, while pros investigate case; Judge will decide Jan. 26, 2018, postponed. Judge gave him 6 more months of detention. April 24, 2018 was released from prison.
Court info from Feb. 11, 2017 thru Sept. 30, 2021 & Trial days Nov. 29 to Dec. 24 & May 9, 2022 reference post #124 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...se-10-feb-2017-husband-arrested.330422/page-7
11/27/23 Monday, Trial Day: No info available. Trial continues on Tuesday, 11/28/23.
11/28/23 Tuesday, Trial Day: No info available. Trial continues on Thursday, 11/30/23.
11/29/23 Wednesday, Trial Day: No info available. Trial continues on Thursday, 11/30/23.
11/30/23 Thursday, Trial Day: No info available. Trial continues on Friday, 12/1/23. And this will be the last post until further info is available.

 

[ZaZara]

I gave it a try with an old email address, but they want a valid phone number too. Sorry Niner, not going to happen.
Cannot find anything new in the Italian press btw.

 

[Niner]

I gave it a try with an old email address, but they want a valid phone number too. Sorry Niner, not going to happen.
Cannot find anything new in the Italian press btw.

That is quite alright! I would not give them my phone # either.

So I guess we wait & see if any articles come out. I can always update my notes! LOL!

 

[pizzaman12]

I gave it a try with an old email address, but they want a valid phone number too. Sorry Niner, not going to happen.

That is quite alright! I would not give them my phone # either.

For whatever reason, Irish Independent didn't like either as I never received the registration link (never had that happen). However, I've used these two sites for disposable email addresses and have used it HUNDREDS of of times over many years. It works great if you need to register for something or one time uses. I'm not giving out my info for every single thing. 10 minute email address (you can also extend that time if you need it longer by clicking on the "Give me 10 more minutes" and it restarts your 10 minutes).

10 Minute Mail and https://10minutemail.com

Also, you don't have to give them a cell number. I just used a random landline and it was fine

From the article- Not much new in this but I'll post a portion of it.

His lawyer Luigi Conti told the Irish Independent that the hearing is to resume today, with more prosecution witnesses called.

The trial is taking place in Italy in Mr Belling’s absence.

“It has always been a circumstantial process, but to date not even the slightest element has emerged,” Mr Conti said.

He said his client is pleading not guilty.

Mr Belling, Ms Xing and their two children boarded the MSC Magnifica cruise ship in the Italian port of Civitavecchia on February 9, 2017.

Crew members noticed Ms Xing was missing when they did a head count at the end of the cruise.

Belling reportedly told an Italian judge that he and his wife had an argument and she wanted to “quit the trip”.

He claimed his wife left the vessel when he and the children went on an onshore excursion.

Mr Belling told reporters he believed she had arranged her disappearance.

He was held on remand in an Italian jail for 14 months in relation to his wife’s disappearance, before being released and allowed to return to Ireland in 2018.

Last year, the IT worker was given a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence after he successfully applied for a mortgage with Bank of Ireland using falsified documents.

He used the mortgage of €112,000 in buying a property in Clongriffin, Dublin, for €125,000 in 2014.

Belling rented the property to two tenants to cover the mortgage repayments and took a case with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) after they allegedly stopped paying rent.

He recently sold the property for €310,000.

Belling used fake documents, including a German ID card with an incorrect date of birth, payslips overstating his salary as €90,000, bank statements with incorrect information and an altered P60 when he applied for a mortgage for the property.

It was his fourth time applying for a loan with Bank of Ireland. The other attempts were unsuccessful.

He told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the plan to dishonestly gain mortgages was his wife’s. He said she knew Chinese people involved in forgery and she liaised with them to forge the fake documents, payslips and ID card.

In July 2020, Italian investigators announced that their probe into Ms Xing's disappearance had determined that computer programmer Mr Belling killed his wife while on the ship and disposed of her body in the sea.

Mr Belling returned to Ireland in 2018 after 14 months on remand in an Italian jail in relation to the disappearance.

He has remained here since.

 

[Niner]

Thanks @pizzaman12 -for the info on that article. If you see more on this trial - it would be very much appreciated with you input on them!

 

[pizzaman12]

Thanks @pizzaman12 -for the info on that article. If you see more on this trial - it would be very much appreciated with you input on them!

Will do. Easily one of the most bizarre cases I've followed given the gaps and overall duration. Justice system in the US is obviously different, but having a trial going on while everyone is elsewhere seems odd.

 

[Niner]

Just bumping this case up - maybe someone is better at searching for this trial... coming up with ziltch. Could be paused for the Holidays?

 

[Niner]

Well - guess what - trial is over -

Dublin Man Sentenced For Murdering His Wife On Cruise Ship

A Dublin man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison by an Italian court for murdering his wife and disposing of her body while they were holidaying on a

extra.ie

June 1, 2024

A Dublin man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison by an Italian court for murdering his wife and disposing of her body while they were holidaying on a cruise ship.
Daniel Belling, who holds dual German and Irish citizenship, was convicted in absentia in a court in Rome yesterday.
[.....]
Under Italian law, Mr Belling was allowed to be held without formal charge or trial for a year to give the prosecution time to investigate the matter, but had to be released if no evidence was produced.

 

[ZaZara]

Daniel Belling will appeal

Ireland resident vows to fight Italian cruise ship murder conviction

He (D.B.'s lawyer) said there were two more courts that would hear the case – and he told us he was confident they would acquit Mr Belling (52). Mr Belling, who steadfastly denies murdering his Chinese wife and mum of two young kids Xing-Li (38) on a cruise ship off the coast of Italy seven years ago, spoke exclusively to The Mirror after Thursday’s shock verdict by a Roman court on Thursday evening.


He said: “It will be challenged. The next round will take several more months, my lawyer said.” And when we pressed him if he wished to make any other comment, Mr Belling replied: “Sorry, no, I don’t want to talk about it.” Mr Conti has now told the Irish Mirror that he believes the higher courts in Italy will reverse Thursday’s conviction.


He said the process is likely to take several years. And when we asked him why he was so confident, he said he believed there was just not enough evidence to convict Mr Belling – who is a free man and is living in Ireland – of the crime.


Mr Belling is accused of voluntary homicide as well as the destruction of a body in relation to the disappearance of his wife in the sea off the Italian port of Civitavecchia in 2017.


The indictment by the state accuses Mr Belling of “causing the death of his wife , who was travelling with him and two young children and in order to achieve impunity for the crime just committed, he disposed of the corpse, hiding it or otherwise causing its destruction.”

(...)

The judges in the court of assizes who convicted Mr Belling will give their reasoning in three months’ time.

BBM

 

[ZaZara]

La cinese sparita in crociera, il marito David Belling condannato a 26 anni di carcere per omicidio e occultamento di cadavere

Daniel Belling was sentenced to 26 years in prison for the murder and concealment of the body of his wife Yi Yngley, who disappeared during a Mediterranean cruise in February 2017. The prosecution had demanded 24 years. A circumstantial trial like the most famous fictional detective stories, the case of Yinglei (44 years old, mother of two young children), who disappeared during a cruise between Greece and Malta in February 2017, is today reaching its final stages. The prosecution against her husband Daniel Belling, suspected by the Public Prosecutor's Office of killing her and disposing of the body during the cruise before disembarking in Civitavecchia, is represented by prosecutor Francesco Basentini. Yi's mother, Yu Yangxei, who has now returned to live in China, has joined the trial as a civil plaintiff (through lawyer Renato Raineri). While the defence is represented by lawyer Luigi Conti.

The hypothesis of the body in the trolley

During the discussion, Prosecutor Basentini took the floor, anticipating the filing of a brief and summarising the facts: ‘Belling was stopped a few moments before embarking for Ireland and arrested. We know that there was a particularly critical marriage (there was talk of ‘considerable quarrelling’) between the two and Belling himself explained that he had been the subject of a complaint of ill-treatment by his wife. The man did not report the woman missing. What's more: when he disembarked Belling was carrying a trolley bag, a very important detail. And it was the leader of the mobile team who said that given Yi's petite features a trolley could have contained her body. I am more than convinced that she has been missing since 10 February because there is much evidence to prove it. Passengers who say they have not seen her since. The badge recognition on board that leaves no trace. The mother who says she has had no answer since the 10th. Then there is the testimony of the waiter who was told by Belling not to rebook the room after that day. No one entered the cabin again except the Belling family’.

Having lined up a number of circumstances, the prosecution draws the following conclusion: ‘A verdict of guilt against the defendant, even with the lack of direct testimony and the body, appears well-founded. The logical assessment of the evidence supports the verdict of criminal responsibility of Belling. Why would a loving mother like the victim have not brought her children with her? This is the first doubt. This is illogical. But then she leaves her mobile phone, identity papers, residence permit and clothes? Another illogicality. The suicide hypothesis is equally absurd. No letter, message or greeting to the children? But does a suicide take a trolley with her? Can we really think that? Finally: even if the lady left voluntarily, why not report her disappearance? We believe that Belling killed his wife and hid the corpse in the trolley and then disposed of it. We demand a sentence of 24 years imprisonment’.

BBM


Mwah.... if I planned to run off and not be found, I would also leave my phone. And leave no note, because that would buy me time.

 

[Niner]

So it was all circumstantial evidence for this case. I would appeal too. I am too sure he is guilty - I believe his wife is in China somewhere... anyway - we wait for his appeals... years down the road....

 

[ZaZara]

So it was all circumstantial evidence for this case. I would appeal too. I am too sure he is guilty - I believe his wife is in China somewhere... anyway - we wait for his appeals... years down the road....

I'm in two minds about him being guilty. He could well be, but IMO proof should be beyond a reasonable doubt. I wish there had been more reporting on the details of this case. So we would know more about the strength of the file and the evidence that the prosecution presented. How did the evidence pass the threshold of reasonable doubt and how did they pull that rabbit out of the hat, I wonder?