Accused killer of Lin family given bail as Crown case 'falls well short'

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Accused killer of Lin family given bail as Crown case 'falls well short'

PROSECUTORS will appeal a decision to grant bail to the man accused of killing five members of the Lin family.

In the Central Local Court on Thursday, Magistrate John Andrews said the Crown case against Lian Bin ''Robert'' Xie had been weakened ''substantially'' in evidence that emerged during the committal proceedings and granted bail.

Decision … prosecutor Mark Tedeschi has appealed.

Decision … prosecutor Mark Tedeschi has appealed.Credit: Robert Pearce

But Mr Xie will remain in custody after Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi, QC, said the Director of Public Prosecutions would be appealing the decision in the Supreme Court.

Mr Andrews said: ''In my view, the case falls well short of being a strong Crown case.''

He said he was satisfied Mr Xie had met the exceptional circumstances required for granting bail and he ordered him to put forward security amounting to $900,000.

He added that if a jury found the DNA evidence was not blood, that would prove ''fatal'' to the Crown case.

Mr Xie, 48, is charged with murdering his brother-in-law, Min ''Norman'' Lin, 45, Mr Lin's wife, Yun Li ''Lily'' Lin, 43, her sister, Yun Bin ''Irene'' Yin, 39, and two boys, aged nine and 12, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Their bodies were found in a North Epping house on July 18, 2009. They had been beaten to death with a hammer-like object, while the cause of death for four of the victims also included asphyxia.

Mr Xie was committed to stand trial on Wednesday and applied for bail immediately. It was his third bail application.

After Mr Tedeschi indicated the DPP would be appealing the decision, Mr Andrews granted a temporary stay on his decision. It will expire on Thursday, December 27 , meaning the matter will have to be heard in the Supreme Court before then.

AAP

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