Businessman Hacks Family Of Four To Death In A Row Over A Medicine Shop!

A businessman hacked to death a family of four in a row over a failed medicine shop, a court has heard.

MASSACRE: The dings family at a Christmas party [NEWSTEAM]

Vengeful Anxiang Du, 54, stabbed ex-business partner Dr Jifeng Ding, 46, after losing a bitter legal battle.

He then knifed Dr Ding’s wife Helen, 45, before searching the house and slaughtering daughters Nancy, 18, and Alice, 12.

The killings came after the pair’s Herbs For Health firm fell apart.

Northampton Crown Court heard Du faced ruin after losing £88,000 in a lawsuit against Dr Ding.

William Harbage, prosecuting, said Du travelled from Coventry to Dr Ding’s house in Northampton on April 29, 2011.

Armed with a knife, he cut down the Manchester Metropolitan University chemistry lecturer and his wife in their kitchen, the court heard.

IN THE DOCK: Anxiang Du admitts killing the family but denies the four counts of murder [PA]

Mr Harbage added: “Not content with killing them, the mother and father, he then went upstairs to find their two daughters cowering in a bedroom.

“He cold-bloodedly stabbed them to death as well. Each sustained many wounds, some of which had penetrated the chest cavity causing fatal damage.”

The sisters, whose screams were heard by a 999 call operator, were both talented violinists who had toured Europe.

Nancy was a straight-A student hoping to go to Cambridge University and Alice had appeared on BBC show Blue Peter.

The jury was told that Dr Ding was stabbed 23 times, his wife Helen 13 times, daughter Nancy 11 times and Alice four times. Du sparked a manhunt by going on the run to Morocco after the killings but was tracked down and brought back to Britain this year.

HOUSE OF HELL: The Ding family home [NEWSTEAM]

He admits killing the family but denies four counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Mr Harbage disputed that yesterday, saying: “He planned to kill, he intended to kill, he did kill, four times.

“This is murder, nothing less. These killings happened when Du was angry and because he made a decision to exact his revenge on the Dings and to kill them all.”

The trial continues.