Man witnessed ex-girlfriend's murder via webcam

Update: 

A Toronto man, Brian Dickson, has been found guilty of killing a Chinese student whose last moments were witnessed via webcam by her boyfriend.

A Chinese man who witnessed the rape and murder of his former girlfriend via webcam, testified in a court in Toronto, Canada, on Mar 28, nearly three years after the attack.

Canada's Sun News said in its report that Meng XianChao, 27, took to the stand and described what happened as he watched helplessly from Beijing the murder of Liu Qian, 23, during a Skype session on April 15, 2011.

He said that Liu had asked him to keep her company while she did her homework that night. The two had ended their relationship after Liu moved to Toronto to study English, but had stayed friends.

Through an interpreter, Meng described how his chat with Liu was interrupted by a knock on the door, and how the man at the door subsequently forced his way into Liu's room.

Meng said that he heard Liu scream "no" and said that the struggle fell out of his view, and that Liu fell silent.

He then said that he saw the man appeared on his computer screen later, naked from the waist down. He said the man locked the apartment door, turned off the lights and shut down Liu's computer.

Liu's body was found later that day in the apartment.

Brian Dickson, 32, has been charged with first-degree murder in the case, and his trial is now ongoing.

sinsh@sph.com.sg