Student killed two women in 24 hours

A Chinese national who robbed and murdered two women within 24 hours recently arrived in Australia hoping for “better prospects”, a court has been told.

Xiaozheng Lin, 24, returned to the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of manslaughter.

He was assisted by a Chinese translator and lawyer Paul Smallwood told the court Lin had only rudimentary understanding and ability to speak English.

The then 22-year-old was arrested two days after Yuqi Luo, 31, was found dead in her Melbourne CBD apartment on December 27, 2022.

The body of 51-year-old Hyun Suk-jeong was found decomposed the next day, December 30, at the Docklands branch.

The court was told Lin provided detectives with an account of the events surrounding Ms Lu’s death but provided “no information” about how or why Ms Jeong was killed.

Ms. Lu, a sex worker, was strangled by Lin after she resisted.

He stole about $7,000 in cash, her phone, tablet and designer bags, but told police she was still alive when he left.

Crown prosecutor Christy Churchill told the court that by pleading guilty, Lean admitted causing the deaths of two women within 24 hours.

“He stole from them, kept them in positions with no regard for their dignity,” she said.

“These attacks were completely unprovoked; on women who were physically smaller than him.”

Mr Smallwood told the court his client accepted the crime was serious but did not know the women had died when he left.

He said Lin emigrated to Australia on an expired tourist visa to study English and that his deportation was “inevitable” once his sentence ended.

“He came to Australia in circumstances where he and his family had hoped for better prospects, but those prospects have now faded,” Mr Smallwood said.

Mr Smallwood said Lyn never had a girlfriend and began hiring sex workers after arriving in Australia.

Judge Stephen Kay adjourned sentencing, saying he hoped to hand down sentence in the next two weeks.