悲劇！

Convicted murderer 'wants death penalty'

By Kate Lahey

December 12, 2006 02:21pm
Article from: AAP

A MAN who raped and murdered a Melbourne real estate agent in a house she was selling says he wants his punishment to be the death penalty.

Shaoyi Liu, 36, of Sydenham, was found guilty of the rape and murder of Lorelle Makin, 48, whose body was found in a house for sale in Melton in Melbourne's outer west on September 15 last year.

Today, Liu's lawyer Benjamin Lindner told the Victorian Supreme Court his client did not agree with the jury's verdict but did acknowledge he was responsible for killing Ms Makin.

"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".

However, Mr Lindner also asked the court not give his client a crushing sentence of life imprisonment.

He said Liu could face deportation to China on his eventual release from jail, after being granted permission to stay here in 1989 under Australia's response to the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Liu has received no personal visitors in jail since his arrest on September 16, 2005.

After the murder, Liu 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 from Liu's diary 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.

He 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, had planned to rape Ms Makin, Mr Horgan said.
"There's no indication that it won't happen again," he said.

"There is no remorse demonstrated in this case whatsoever."

Mr Horgan said Liu's acknowledgement 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.