Vengeful ex-wife ‘ killed executive in row over cash’
AN EXECUTIVE was stabbed to death by his vengeful ex-wife when she confronted him about his new girlfriend and demanded more cash, an inquest heard yesterday.
Michael Simpson, 34, was knifed in the neck and girlfriend Rachel Lin was slashed ‘to the bone’ by his estranged wife WeiWei Fu, it is alleged.
The attack happened in Mr Simpson’s apartment in Shanghai as his two children Jack, seven, and Alice, four, slept in their bedrooms next door.
Mr Simpson is originally from Wimborne, Dorset, but moved to China in 2009 to work as an operations manager for Next as it expanded into the Far East.
He met Fu, a store assistant and they married and had Jack and Alice. According to Mr Simpson’s family, Fu became unhappy in the marriage, as she was ‘materialistic’ while he cared only for their children.
They separated in 2015 and Mr Simpson started seeing Miss Lin, a senior colleague. On March 20 of that year, Fu turned up at Mr Simpson’s apartment with two friends. She allegedly threatened to post ‘embarrassing material’ about Miss Lin online unless she was given more money by Mr Simpson.
During a heated row she pulled out a knife and stabbed Mr Simpson twice – once in the back and a fatal downward blow in the neck – Bournemouth Coroner’s Court heard.
A lack of defensive wounds on his body suggested the attack was sudden, the inquest heard. Fu then slashed Miss Lin’s right arm, cutting it to the bone. Fu faces the death penalty when she goes on trial on Monday in China for the murder of Mr Simpson. But under Chinese law, she could seek forgiveness from Mr Simpson’s family, which would reduce her sentence and allow his parents Ian and Linda custody of his children.
The couple, who are in China for Fu’s trial, are fighting to win custody of Jack and Alice. Mr Simpson’s brother, Andrew, 37, told the inquest the family’s grief had been compounded by the fact they have been unable to see Jack and Alice.
‘Michael’s overwhelming passion was his two children,’ he said. ‘When he was not working he would spend every minute of the day with them. We’ve not seen or heard from the children since Michael’s passing because they were taken away by his exwife’s brother the next morning.
‘When we are trying to grieve there is a fight to try and see the children. We just want to get them home.’
Mr Simpson’s father, Ian, 68, said yesterday: ‘To lose Michael and then his children would be a horrible blow to our family.’
Richard Middleton, the Dorset assistant coroner, recorded a conclusion of unlawful death.