Sydney man found guilty of bludgeoning his five members of his family to death pleads innocence

In Sydney’s northwest in 2009 a sickening attack took place.

Local newsagent Norman ‘Min’ Lin was found murdered in his home alongside his wife Lily, her sister, Irene, and his two young sons Henry and Terry.

Evidence during the trial at NSW Supreme Court revealed that the power had been cut to their Epping home, and the family was bludgeoned to death with a hammer-like object in the early hours of the morning.

Crown Prosecutor Tanya Smith argued that Lin’s brother-in-law Robert Xie, was responsible for the gruesome attack - saying blood from at least 3 of the victims was found on the floor of Xie’s garage.

Bloodied footprints that match the tread of a pair of Xie’s shoes were also found in Lin’s home.

The Crown argued that Xie was motivated by jealousy.

Xie’s defence barrister, Robert Webb, denied the claims saying that the footprints could match a range of different shoes, and that Xie was not jealous of his brother-in-law. In fact he and is wife were regular guests at their house.

As the jury returned a guilty verdict, Xie told the court he did not commit the murder.

‘I am innocent,’ he maintained, as he left the court.