Murder accused 'had heart complaint' when quizzed, court told
A 25-year-old man accused of double murder told gardai he had a heart complaint when he was questioned in connection with the deaths, a jury has heard.
The accused man, a Chinese national, Mr Yu Jie (aged 25), with a last address at McKee Avenue, Finglas, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of English language student Ms Liu Qing (19) in an apartment at Blackhall Square, off North King St., Dublin 7, between 6pm on March 12 2001 and 3am on March 14th 2001. He has also denied the murder of Ms Liu's boyfriend, Mr Yue Feng (19) between 1pm on March 12 and 3am on March 14 in the same place.
The trial has heard that Yu Jie gave a witness statement to gardai over four days between March 16 and March 19 2001. On March 22, he was arrested at his home in Finglas, with a high-ranking Chinese police officer present for his arrest and detention.
The officer, Mr Zhijin Zuo, a third assistant commissioner of the Chinese police, is also a qualified medical doctor and forensic pathologist. He was approached by the Garda when he was seconded to Interpol working as a disaster victim identification expert in Lyon, France. The Garda Siochana were looking for a police officer who could translate their interrogation of the accused man, who speaks Mandarin Chinese.
The Central Criminal Court trial heard today that on the day of his arrest, following a consultation with his solicitor, Yu Jie informed the gardai through the solicitor that he had a heart condition.
A note on the Garda custody record stated: "Solicitor indicated his client has an old heart complaint since he was a child. Does not need to see a doctor. However, he only wants same recorded in order that all concerned are aware of it."
Asst Commr Zhijin was asked by defence counsel Charles Corcoran BL whether he had been made aware of Mr Yu Jie's heart complaint. Asst Commr Zhijin said he did not remember. He agreed that during the course of the interviews with gardai, the accused had said he had a headache and a feeling of suffocation. He accepted that he had not translated this to the gardai.
The witness has told the jury that he believed Yu Jie's headache was of the mind, not of the body, and was a symptom of the pressure he was under as a man accused of double murder.
The defence counsel put it to him whether, as a medical doctor, he would have regarded the headache complaint differently had he known that the accused had a heart problem since childhood. Mr Zhijin said he was not present when Yu Jie spoke to his solicitor prior to the entry in the custody record relating to the heart condition.
"I tell you I don't know because when Yu Jie talked to his solicitor, he had an independent interpreter, not me", he said.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Abbott and the jury.
