Accused murderer Lian Bin "Robert" Xie tried to take over the newsagency business of family members he allegedly killed, a Sydney court has heard.
Family and community members were eager for Min Lin's North Epping newsagency to reopen as soon as possible after he, his wife Lily, their children Henry, 12, and Terry, nine, plus their aunt Irene were viciously murdered in their home in the same northern Sydney suburb.
Xie is accused of the July 2009 murders, which the court earlier heard were carried out with a hammer-like weapon, leaving wounds so traumatic police thought a shotgun had been used.
He has pleaded not guilty.
In September 2009 as discussions about the family's assets were underway, Lin patriarch Yang Fei Lin told the court that Xie had asked to take over the newsagency, which he said was worth about $500,000.
"We were already running the newsagency, we didn't need his interference," he told the court through a Mandarin interpreter.
"His purpose was to take over the newsagency."
Xie was told he would have to take care of business loans and interest payments.
But, Yang Fei Lin said, Xie was adamant he didn't have to pay off debt, and disputed the estimated $2 million value.
The family's home in North Epping was worth about $1.2 million, they owned a $300,000 unit at Merrylands and the newsagency was valued at $500,000, Yang Fei Lin said.
Mr Lin had also tried to stop Xie from attending meetings about the potential sale of the newsagency.
The court heard Xie and his wife Kathy wanted to buy a newsagency and were trying to sell a restaurant in Melbourne.
The late Mr Lin had invited Xie to inspect his business's books, but the accused never took him up on the offer.
Yang Fei Lin had also told Xie to stay out of family business.
A son-in-law was only perceived as a "half member" of a family in Chinese culture, the court heard.
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