A CHINESE couple involved in a football betting scam who were murdered in their flat had received threats over the internet before their deaths, a court heard yesterday.

Xi Zhou and Zhen Xing Yang, both 25, were killed in August last year in Newcastle.

Restaurant worker Guang Hui Cao, 31, denies murdering them both.

The jury was told that Mr Yang, known as Kevin, placed adverts on Mandarin language websites seeking to recruit people to watch football matches in the UK and South America.

Adverts were also placed in his girlfriend’s Anglicised name, Cici, asking for people to send live information from games, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Paul Sloan QC, defending, said: “Messages were placed on the internet prior to their deaths complaining about the activities of Kevin Yang and Cici, in such terms as ‘Cici has been deceitful’.” Another suggested people should ask for money in advance.

Mr Cao told the jury he left China in 2001 after he was sacked and beaten up because of his religious beliefs.

The trial will resume on Monday.