Latest news with #ParramattaLocalCourt
West Australian
30-05-2025
- West Australian
Kwang Kyung Yoo: Sydney taekwondo instructor's shocking lies revealed after he pleads guilty to triple murder
WARNING: Confronting content A taekwondo instructor who confessed to a shocking triple murder in western Sydney had an obsession with luxury items and told grandiose lies in the lead-up to the killing of a couple and a seven-year-old boy, according to court documents. Kwang Kyung Yoo, 51, on Thursday pleaded guilty to murdering Min Cho, 41, and a seven-year-old child at his North Parramatta taekwondo studio as well as Ms Cho's husband, Steven Cho, 39, at his Baulkham Hills home on February 19 last year. A statement of agreed facts tendered to the Parramatta Local Court do not state Yoo's motivation for the horrific murders; however, they do reveal that in the lead-up, he lied to his wife that he was being given a BMW as a work car and instead took Ms Cho's BMW X5 after killing her. He was also obsessed with wealth and had told lies about his academic credentials and having competed at the Olympics. Yoo ran the Lion's Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy at North Parramatta and was known to his students as 'Master Lion'. According to court documents, in January last year, he lied to his wife when he told her that a primary school, where he had a part-time job, was giving him a BMW as a work car. In the 11 days leading up to the horrific murders, Yoo was captured on CCTV driving into the complex where the Yoo family lived in his grey Toyota Camry on five occasions The court was told that about 6.22pm on February 19, after the other parents and students had left his taekwondo studio, Yoo strangled Ms Cho in a storeroom before dragging her body into the office. Later that evening, he was captured on CCTV taking Ms Cho's car keys before he later called his wife to say his new BMW had arrived. 'The car has arrived,' he told her during a brief phone call. He then killed the seven-year-old boy in the storeroom by strangling him. At 8.48pm, he drove Ms Cho's BMW X5 away from the scene to her Baulkham Hills townhouse, where he broke in. At 9.18pm, Mr Cho returned home, where he was stabbed to death by Yoo with blows to the head, neck and chest. Mr Cho stabbed Yoo in self-defence but was killed in the altercation. Yoo returned to his studio and called his wife, saying: 'I've been stabbed with a knife.' He drove to Westmead Hospita,l where he was treated for a collapsed lung and multiple stab wounds. He claimed to police that he had been stabbed by three people in the car park of a North Parramatta Woolworths; however, officers quickly established that it was a lie after viewing CCTV footage. Police searched Ms Cho's BMW, which Yoo had driven to the hospital, and found traces of blood inside. Mr Cho's body was discovered the next day when friends became concerned and went to the couple's home. Police then went to the Lion's Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy, where they noticed blood on the front steps before the bodies of Ms Cho and the boy were found inside. 'During the investigation, police obtained evidence that suggested that the offender (Yoo) had interests in luxury items, social status and wealth,' the court documents state. Police found evidence of him inspecting properties and falsely telling agents that he was acting on behalf of his wealthy employer or his parents, who had a budget of up to $50m. He showed the mother of one of his students a picture that he falsely claimed was taken from his home with Harbour Bridge views. He had further lied about owning property in Sydney's eastern suburbs and luxury cars, and that he holidayed in New York and California. He also bizarrely told his wife that he was receiving emails from a wealthy woman in a high position, according to the court documents. Yoo also told people, including his wife and sister, that he had a master's degree and PHD from Macquarie University and Sydney University; however, both institutions had no record of him. He was also found to have lied about competing in taekwondo at the 2000 Olympics. Yoo will appear in the Supreme Court on April 1.
Perth Now
30-05-2025
- Perth Now
Obsessed triple murderer's shocking lies
WARNING: Confronting content A taekwondo instructor who confessed to a shocking triple murder in western Sydney had an obsession with luxury items and told grandiose lies in the lead-up to the killing of a couple and a seven-year-old boy, according to court documents. Kwang Kyung Yoo, 51, on Thursday pleaded guilty to murdering Min Cho, 41, and a seven-year-old child at his North Parramatta taekwondo studio as well as Ms Cho's husband, Steven Cho, 39, at his Baulkham Hills home on February 19 last year. A statement of agreed facts tendered to the Parramatta Local Court do not state Yoo's motivation for the horrific murders; however, they do reveal that in the lead-up he lied to his wife that he was being given a BMW as a work car and instead took Ms Cho's BMW X5 after killing her. Murderer Kwang Kyung Yoo. Supplied Credit: Supplied Yoo was obsessed with wealth. Facebook Credit: Supplied He was also obsessed with wealth and had told lies about his academic credentials and having competed at the Olympics. Yoo ran the Lion's Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy at North Parramatta and was known to his students as 'Master Lion'. According to court documents, in January last year, he lied to his wife when he told her that a primary school – where he had a part-time job – was giving him a BMW as a work car. In the 11 days leading up to the horrific murders, Yoo was captured on CCTV driving into the complex where the Yoo family lived in his grey Toyota Camry on five occasions The court was told that about 6.22pm on February 19, after the other parents and students had left his taekwondo studio, Yoo strangled Ms Cho in a storeroom before dragging her body into the office. Later that evening he was captured on CCTV taking Ms Cho's car keys before he later called his wife to say his new BMW had arrived. Min and Steven Cho were murdered by Yoo. Supplied Credit: Supplied The couple were killed on February 19 last year. Credit: Supplied 'The car has arrived,' he told her during a brief phone call. He then killed the seven-year-old boy in the storeroom by strangling him. At 8.48pm he drove Ms Cho's BMW X5 away from the scene to her Baulkham Hills townhouse where he broke in. At 9.18pm, Mr Cho returned home where he was stabbed to death by Yoo with blows to the head, neck and chest. Mr Cho stabbed Yoo in self-defence but was killed in the altercation. Yoo returned to his studio and called his wife, saying: 'I've been stabbed with a knife.' He drove to Westmead Hospital where he was treated for a collapsed lung and multiple stab wounds. He claimed to police that he had been stabbed by three people in the carpark of a North Parramatta Woolworths; however, officers quickly established that was a lie after viewing CCTV footage. Police searched Ms Cho's BMW, which Yoo had driven to hospital, and found traces of blood inside. Mr Cho's body was discovered the next day when friends became concerned and went to the couple's home. Police then went to the Lion's Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy where they noticed blood on the front steps before the bodies of Ms Cho and the boy were found inside. 'During the investigation, police obtained evidence that suggested that the offender (Yoo) had interests in luxury items, social status and wealth,' the court documents state. Police found evidence of him inspecting properties and falsely telling agents that he was acting on behalf of his wealthy employer or his parents who had a budget of up to $50m. Lion's Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy. NewsWire/Gaye Gerard. Credit: News Corp Australia The Baulkham Hills townhouse block where Mr Cho was murdered. NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia He showed the mother of one of his students a picture that he falsely claimed was taken from his home with Harbour Bridge views. He had further lied about owning property in Sydney's eastern suburbs and luxury cars and that he holidayed in New York and California. He also bizarrely told his wife that he was receiving emails from a wealthy woman in a high position, according to the court documents. Yoo also told people, including his wife and sister, that he had a master's degree and PHD from Macquarie University and Sydney University; however, both institutions had no record of him. He was also found to have lied about competing in taekwondo at the 2000 Olympics. Yoo will appear in the Supreme Court on April 1.
The Advertiser
22-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Father exposes teacher's alleged abuse of teen student
Further alleged sexual abuse by a female teacher accused of raping her student has been uncovered by the teen's father, a court has been told. Monique Kieuoanh Nguyen, 29, is accused of abusing a 17-year-old male student at a Sydney school between January and April 2024. Arrested on May 22, 2024, she was originally charged with sexual intercourse with a young person under her care. She has since been hit with nine further charges of intentionally sexually touching the boy and one charge of inciting him to touch her. This alleged misconduct was uncovered by the teen's father who alerted police, Parramatta Local Court was told on Thursday. "The father in that family, regularly - I think monthly - downloads the messages of each person in his family and reviews them," Nguyen's solicitor Mickaela Mate said. Ms Mate argued her client should be repaid her "quite significant" legal costs. Despite multiple adjournments and legal work done for the past six months, prosecutors still did not even know how many charges would be laid, she said. "To put it in plain English, I just can't believe how it's taken them this long." Nguyen's phone records of chats with the student would have been obtained by police in May 2024, she told the court. Instead her client had to deal with allegations coming at her at a staggered pace without being told beforehand that the case had to be adjourned. Nguyen was allowed to watch the proceedings by audiovisual link from what appeared to be a classroom containing a whiteboard. Crown prosecutor Matthew Dickinson said the Director of Public Prosecutions had only been given the phone records of the alleged victim six months ago. Technical difficulties prevented the DPP from opening a digital version and police had to provide 16,500 text messages in hard-copy, he said. It had taken time to review all those messages, Mr Dickinson told the court. Further charges could be laid, including in relation to alleged child abuse material after at least one reference to the boy's genitalia was found in the texts, the court heard. Magistrate Peter Feather declined to award Nguyen's costs, noting the length of time required to read all the messages. The matter will return to court on July 17. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Further alleged sexual abuse by a female teacher accused of raping her student has been uncovered by the teen's father, a court has been told. Monique Kieuoanh Nguyen, 29, is accused of abusing a 17-year-old male student at a Sydney school between January and April 2024. Arrested on May 22, 2024, she was originally charged with sexual intercourse with a young person under her care. She has since been hit with nine further charges of intentionally sexually touching the boy and one charge of inciting him to touch her. This alleged misconduct was uncovered by the teen's father who alerted police, Parramatta Local Court was told on Thursday. "The father in that family, regularly - I think monthly - downloads the messages of each person in his family and reviews them," Nguyen's solicitor Mickaela Mate said. Ms Mate argued her client should be repaid her "quite significant" legal costs. Despite multiple adjournments and legal work done for the past six months, prosecutors still did not even know how many charges would be laid, she said. "To put it in plain English, I just can't believe how it's taken them this long." Nguyen's phone records of chats with the student would have been obtained by police in May 2024, she told the court. Instead her client had to deal with allegations coming at her at a staggered pace without being told beforehand that the case had to be adjourned. Nguyen was allowed to watch the proceedings by audiovisual link from what appeared to be a classroom containing a whiteboard. Crown prosecutor Matthew Dickinson said the Director of Public Prosecutions had only been given the phone records of the alleged victim six months ago. Technical difficulties prevented the DPP from opening a digital version and police had to provide 16,500 text messages in hard-copy, he said. It had taken time to review all those messages, Mr Dickinson told the court. Further charges could be laid, including in relation to alleged child abuse material after at least one reference to the boy's genitalia was found in the texts, the court heard. Magistrate Peter Feather declined to award Nguyen's costs, noting the length of time required to read all the messages. The matter will return to court on July 17. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Further alleged sexual abuse by a female teacher accused of raping her student has been uncovered by the teen's father, a court has been told. Monique Kieuoanh Nguyen, 29, is accused of abusing a 17-year-old male student at a Sydney school between January and April 2024. Arrested on May 22, 2024, she was originally charged with sexual intercourse with a young person under her care. She has since been hit with nine further charges of intentionally sexually touching the boy and one charge of inciting him to touch her. This alleged misconduct was uncovered by the teen's father who alerted police, Parramatta Local Court was told on Thursday. "The father in that family, regularly - I think monthly - downloads the messages of each person in his family and reviews them," Nguyen's solicitor Mickaela Mate said. Ms Mate argued her client should be repaid her "quite significant" legal costs. Despite multiple adjournments and legal work done for the past six months, prosecutors still did not even know how many charges would be laid, she said. "To put it in plain English, I just can't believe how it's taken them this long." Nguyen's phone records of chats with the student would have been obtained by police in May 2024, she told the court. Instead her client had to deal with allegations coming at her at a staggered pace without being told beforehand that the case had to be adjourned. Nguyen was allowed to watch the proceedings by audiovisual link from what appeared to be a classroom containing a whiteboard. Crown prosecutor Matthew Dickinson said the Director of Public Prosecutions had only been given the phone records of the alleged victim six months ago. Technical difficulties prevented the DPP from opening a digital version and police had to provide 16,500 text messages in hard-copy, he said. It had taken time to review all those messages, Mr Dickinson told the court. Further charges could be laid, including in relation to alleged child abuse material after at least one reference to the boy's genitalia was found in the texts, the court heard. Magistrate Peter Feather declined to award Nguyen's costs, noting the length of time required to read all the messages. The matter will return to court on July 17. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Further alleged sexual abuse by a female teacher accused of raping her student has been uncovered by the teen's father, a court has been told. Monique Kieuoanh Nguyen, 29, is accused of abusing a 17-year-old male student at a Sydney school between January and April 2024. Arrested on May 22, 2024, she was originally charged with sexual intercourse with a young person under her care. She has since been hit with nine further charges of intentionally sexually touching the boy and one charge of inciting him to touch her. This alleged misconduct was uncovered by the teen's father who alerted police, Parramatta Local Court was told on Thursday. "The father in that family, regularly - I think monthly - downloads the messages of each person in his family and reviews them," Nguyen's solicitor Mickaela Mate said. Ms Mate argued her client should be repaid her "quite significant" legal costs. Despite multiple adjournments and legal work done for the past six months, prosecutors still did not even know how many charges would be laid, she said. "To put it in plain English, I just can't believe how it's taken them this long." Nguyen's phone records of chats with the student would have been obtained by police in May 2024, she told the court. Instead her client had to deal with allegations coming at her at a staggered pace without being told beforehand that the case had to be adjourned. Nguyen was allowed to watch the proceedings by audiovisual link from what appeared to be a classroom containing a whiteboard. Crown prosecutor Matthew Dickinson said the Director of Public Prosecutions had only been given the phone records of the alleged victim six months ago. Technical difficulties prevented the DPP from opening a digital version and police had to provide 16,500 text messages in hard-copy, he said. It had taken time to review all those messages, Mr Dickinson told the court. Further charges could be laid, including in relation to alleged child abuse material after at least one reference to the boy's genitalia was found in the texts, the court heard. Magistrate Peter Feather declined to award Nguyen's costs, noting the length of time required to read all the messages. The matter will return to court on July 17. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
West Australian
22-05-2025
- West Australian
Father exposes teacher's alleged abuse of teen student
Further alleged sexual abuse by a female teacher accused of raping her student has been uncovered by the teen's father, a court has been told. Monique Kieuoanh Nguyen, 29, is accused of abusing a 17-year-old male student at a Sydney school between January and April 2024. Arrested on May 22, 2024, she was originally charged with sexual intercourse with a young person under her care. She has since been hit with nine further charges of intentionally sexually touching the boy and one charge of inciting him to touch her. This alleged misconduct was uncovered by the teen's father who alerted police, Parramatta Local Court was told on Thursday. "The father in that family, regularly - I think monthly - downloads the messages of each person in his family and reviews them," Nguyen's solicitor Mickaela Mate said. Ms Mate argued her client should be repaid her "quite significant" legal costs. Despite multiple adjournments and legal work done for the past six months, prosecutors still did not even know how many charges would be laid, she said. "To put it in plain English, I just can't believe how it's taken them this long." Nguyen's phone records of chats with the student would have been obtained by police in May 2024, she told the court. Instead her client had to deal with allegations coming at her at a staggered pace without being told beforehand that the case had to be adjourned. Nguyen was allowed to watch the proceedings by audiovisual link from what appeared to be a classroom containing a whiteboard. Crown prosecutor Matthew Dickinson said the Director of Public Prosecutions had only been given the phone records of the alleged victim six months ago. Technical difficulties prevented the DPP from opening a digital version and police had to provide 16,500 text messages in hard-copy, he said. It had taken time to review all those messages, Mr Dickinson told the court. Further charges could be laid, including in relation to alleged child abuse material after at least one reference to the boy's genitalia was found in the texts, the court heard. Magistrate Peter Feather declined to award Nguyen's costs, noting the length of time required to read all the messages. The matter will return to court on July 17. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Perth Now
22-05-2025
- Perth Now
Father exposes teacher's alleged abuse of teen student
Further alleged sexual abuse by a female teacher accused of raping her student has been uncovered by the teen's father, a court has been told. Monique Kieuoanh Nguyen, 29, is accused of abusing a 17-year-old male student at a Sydney school between January and April 2024. Arrested on May 22, 2024, she was originally charged with sexual intercourse with a young person under her care. She has since been hit with nine further charges of intentionally sexually touching the boy and one charge of inciting him to touch her. This alleged misconduct was uncovered by the teen's father who alerted police, Parramatta Local Court was told on Thursday. "The father in that family, regularly - I think monthly - downloads the messages of each person in his family and reviews them," Nguyen's solicitor Mickaela Mate said. Ms Mate argued her client should be repaid her "quite significant" legal costs. Despite multiple adjournments and legal work done for the past six months, prosecutors still did not even know how many charges would be laid, she said. "To put it in plain English, I just can't believe how it's taken them this long." Nguyen's phone records of chats with the student would have been obtained by police in May 2024, she told the court. Instead her client had to deal with allegations coming at her at a staggered pace without being told beforehand that the case had to be adjourned. Nguyen was allowed to watch the proceedings by audiovisual link from what appeared to be a classroom containing a whiteboard. Crown prosecutor Matthew Dickinson said the Director of Public Prosecutions had only been given the phone records of the alleged victim six months ago. Technical difficulties prevented the DPP from opening a digital version and police had to provide 16,500 text messages in hard-copy, he said. It had taken time to review all those messages, Mr Dickinson told the court. Further charges could be laid, including in relation to alleged child abuse material after at least one reference to the boy's genitalia was found in the texts, the court heard. Magistrate Peter Feather declined to award Nguyen's costs, noting the length of time required to read all the messages. The matter will return to court on July 17. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
