By: From Zaharah Othman in London

PROSTITUTE Noor Azura Mohd Yusoff was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of karaoke club worker Xie Xing Xing, 23, whose head and body had been severed and dumped in different parts of the city.

The sentence was passed down at the Old Bailey by Judge Forrester after an eight-woman and three-man jury found the 22-year-old and her boyfriend Gian Trach Lon, 26, guilty of the offence, committed at a house in South London that the couple shared.

Noor Azura, collapsed in the dock upon hearing the sentence and, crying inconsolably, had to be helped back to her feet.

Gian, a Northern Ireland-born ethnic Vietnamese, was slapped with a heavier 22-year sentence, on account of two past convictions for violent crimes.

He was also given a five-year jail term, which will run concurrently, for perverting the course of justice by disposing of Xie's body.

During sentencing at the end of the 25-day trial, Forrester took into account the fact that Noor Azura had shown remorse when she was arrested, admitting she had slapped and hit Xie and called her death a "mistake".

The judge also took into account her good behaviour and lack of a previous criminal record.

Defence counsel Peter Carter said he was disappointed with the verdict and is expected to appeal it.

The murder occurred on April 17 last year when Noor Azura, who worked as a prostitute in Birmingham, came home from work to find Gian, Xie and another Vietnamese man, Chanh Ngo. Chanh has since fled Britain.

Xie was overdosed on cocaine. It is unclear what exactly transpired in the house, but Xie sustained two stab wounds in the neck and was then decapitated while still alive.

Her hands were cut off and her body parts were then dumped in the South Dock Marina, in Rotherhithe.

Her body, minus its head and hands, was discovered in the Thames on April 19 in a laundry bag from Noor Azura and Gian's residence.

Her head, which was in another garbage bag, was found floating in the same river a few weeks later but her hands were never found.

During the trial, it was suggested that the motive behind the murder could have been jealousy as Noor Azura was known to be very possessive of Gian.

She thought of him as her husband and would end every text message to him with the words, "your lovely wife".

She had previously sent a text message to Xie's friend, Rui Li, demanding to know if Xie was having an affair with Gian and warning Xie to "leave my boyfriend alone, stay away from him".

Noor Azura had also sent Xie a death threat.

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