British man found guilty of beating Chinese girlfriend to death

A 24-year-old man from Cardiff in Wales has been found guilty of murder after beating his Chinese girlfriend to death last year capping off months of brutal abuse.

Bi Xixi, also 24 years old, suffered from massive bruising all over her body and fractures to her jaw and ribs following an argument she had with her boyfriend, Jordan Matthews, inside their shared flat on the night of August 19th, 2016.

In court, the jury heard that Matthews had used a steel rod to beat his girlfriend who was only just over five feet tall (152cm) and weighed less than 100 pounds (44kg). Matthews claims to be a black belt in karate.

While he admitted to manslaughter, Matthews denied murder, insisting that he had not meant to kill Bi. After his arrest, he told police that he believed she had been cheating on him, describing the fatal argument as merely a "little hiccup" in their 16-month relationship.

On Friday, a jury at Cardiff Crown Court was not convinced, rejecting his manslaughter plea following a week-long trial.

As a result of the numerous injuries she sustained, Bi went into cardiac arrest. Matthews dialed emergency services (calling the operator "darling" during the call), and she was rushed to the hospital, but died the next day.

Speaking with police afterward, Matthews said that he couldn't believe what he had done, but it appears as though their relationship had been building up to that moment.

Bi grew up in Nanjing before coming to the United Kingdom when she was 15 years old to study. She spoke four languages and was described as a brilliant student who was working on her master's degree in international business at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

However, after starting her relationship with Matthews, things took a turn for the worse. He began to beat her and force her to miss classes. When she attended, friends said that she wore heavy make-up on her face to cover the bruises. 

Meanwhile, she paid the rent and bills, as well as for his lifestyle, buying him clothes, a trip abroad and even a car.

For all that, Matthews referred to her in text messages as a "worthless piece of shit," also writing that "I have to hit you repeatedly in the head while screaming at you."

The judge will deliver Matthews' sentence next Tuesday.

[Images via ITV News]

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