MELBOURNE – A Chinese woman who took revenge on her ex-lover by murdering his wife and grandson with garden shears has been jailed for life.
Cai Xia Liao, 45, killed four-year-old Alistair Kwong while his grandfather Brian Mach was gagged and bound in another room, then lay in wait for hours until Mai Mach, 61, came home from work and murdered her too.
Victorian Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry yesterday ordered Liao could apply for parole after serving 32 years for the murders, as well as charges of false imprisonment and intentionally causing injury.
Liao’s actions were horrific, horrendous and almost unbelievable, Justice Lasry said.
She killed an innocent child then lay in wait without regret or second thought and killed again. The extreme and grave crime falls into the worst category, he said.
“However you felt about Brian Mach and the fate of your relationship, all of these people were innocent of any wrongdoing,” Justice Lasry said.
The Chinese national had formed a relationship with Mr Mach in 2011 while he was separated from his wife.
She believed he was going to marry her, which would allow her to become an Australian citizen.
But when Mr Mach went back to his wife, Liao became jealous, irrational and aggressive.
She blackmailed and threatened him and tried to force him to end his marriage.
On March 31, she went to his Albanvale home where she drugged, bound and gagged him.
