NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A Norfolk State University graduate charged with killing one of the school’s football players told a dispatcher he fatally shot the man because he was trying to rob him, according to a 911 recording.

The Virginian-Pilot reports a prosecutor played 23-year-old Jaquan Anderson’s 911 call in court Monday during his preliminary hearing. He could be heard saying, “I had to do it.”

Anderson is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the slaying of Nicholas Ackies, an 18-year-old defensive lineman originally from Richmond.

Anderson did not speak in court Monday.

General District Judge Robert Carter sent the case to a grand jury.

Anderson’s attorney declined comment to the newspaper outside the courtroom, as did Ackies’ relatives.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com

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One-time Hong Kong footballer of the Year Lee Wai-lim yesterday admitted pocketing HK$60,000 to fix two matches.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and to bribery charges before District Court judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che, who allowed him bail.

Lee, who coached Hong Kong Pegasus Football Club’s reserve team, had “signaled” a fix was set to players by making gestures such as pulling up the hood of his jacket during a game.

Lee, 36, was charged along with four former Pegasus players who pleaded not guilty from one to seven counts of bribery and defrauding in the HK$60,000 fixing of three matches in 2016.

The four players – Kwok Kin-pong, 30, Michael Cheng Lai-hin, 31, Chan Pak-hang, 24, and Lee Ka-ho, 24 – have also been allowed bail during a trial set to run for 10 days. They allegedly were involves with bribes in Hong Kong Football Association Reserve Division League games.

The two matches Lee admitted fixing were between Pegasus and Biu Chun Rangers FC on March 23 and April 13, 2016.

The court was told that five minutes before the first game started Pegasus player Wong Wai received instructions from Lee.

“You should not score any goal in the first 15 minutes,” Lee said. “Then I will pull up on the hood of my jacket and you should try to score.”

While Wong played said he played “as usual,” he said Lee Ka-ho scored an own goal – Wong reckoned it was a “deliberate” act – as Pegasus lost 6-2.

The following day, Liu Songwei, a former Rangers player, allegedly handed a black plastic bag to Cheng.

Under caution, Lee said Liu had told him to fix the match and he would be rewarded.

And for the April match Wong was instructed by Lee to lose for a reward that would be “one and a half.” Wong understood that to mean HK$15,000.

Wu Chun-ming, another Pegasus player and witness, claimed defendant Chan warned him they “must lose” or else others “would suffer.” Pegasus won that match 1-0, and Wong said he had to pay out HK$10,000 to Lee.

Lee played for the Hong Kong team and was crowned the SAR’s footballer of the year for 2009.

Pegasus is chaired by author, singer and businesswoman Canny Leung Chi-shan, who is set to be a witness.

The hearing continues today.

A man charged with murdering his wife on a family boating holiday allegedly subjected her to “controlling, degrading and manipulating” treatment, the High Court heard on Friday.

Prosecutors claimed Stephen McKinney had verbally abused 35-year-old Lu Na McKinney about their sex life before her death at Devenish Island on Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh last April.

A judge was also told the 41-year-old accused provided varying recollections of how his wife fell into the water while checking their mooring and after taking sleeping pills.

According to a pharmacology expert she couldn’t have functioned as described due to the “hypnotic-sedative effect” of the drugs in her system.

It was further alleged that she had once spoke about a case where another woman went missing from a cruise ship and stated that if anything should happen to her “it would be Stephen”.

McKinney, originally from Strabane but with an address at The Flax Fields in Lifford, Co Donegal, denies murder, insisting he tried in vain to rescue her.

Adjourning his application for bail, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan indicated he was minded to release the defendant if a suitable address can be found.

Mrs McKinney, a Chinese national, was initially believed to have died in a boating accident.

But based on statements from staff at the marina where the family hired the cruiser, expert witnesses, work colleagues of the deceased and telecommunications evidence, police launched a murder inquiry.

The court heard that after marrying in 2003 the couple moved between the Republic of Ireland and China, returning to Donegal in 2016.

In a statement to police McKinney said he had taught English to students online and hoped to find further work in the same field.

He described his wife as “a beautiful woman who couldn’t cook”, said they were happy together and added that she looked after the family’s finances as he had no concept of money.

According to his account they hired the boat to go on a two-night Easter break with their two children, aged 14 and 11.

He confirmed there were only two life jackets on the cruiser, used by his son and daughter, and claimed they had set off without two more being provided because of the excitement of the trip.

On the night his wife died McKinney claimed she took possibly two sleeping tablets the couple had previously purchased on the internet.

Crown lawyer Kate McKay set out how the accused told police he was later woken by Mrs McKinney standing beside him fully dressed, saying she thought the boat was moving and was going out to check the ropes.

McKinney claimed he followed his wife out onto the deck, saw her fall overboard and possibly shout for help.

He said that he immediately jumped into the Lough and managed to get hold of her.

But she couldn’t swim and was struggling, pulling him down and grabbing his necklace, the court heard.

McKinney claimed that after he lost grip of his wife she was “gone”.

He recalled pulling himself back onto the boat and using the torch function on his mobile phone to search for her before calling 999 for help.

The two children remained asleep throughout the incident, according to his statement.

However, Mrs McKay disclosed a pharmacology expert’s opinion that it would not have been possible for Mrs McKinney to function as described by her husband due to the level of drugs in her system.

“Optimum effects would leave Lu Na experiencing a hypnotic-sedative effect,” the prosecutor said.

Setting out further details of the circumstantial case against the accused, she contended:

:: Staff at the marina told McKinney to go to the office to obtain two more life jackets.

:: He allegedly refused to accept being told by his wife that she didn’t want to go on the boat trip.

:: He gave different reasons for the family trip, ranging from an Easter holiday, early wedding anniversary, surprise for the children, and celebration of a new job.

:: McKinney allegedly provided varying accounts of how his wife came to be in the water – seeing her fall in, and hearing a splash before discovering her in the Lough.

:: He had allegedly been advised to moor at a different jetty on Devenish Island.

The court also heard that mobile phones and computers seized from McKinney led to the recovery skype chats, sex videos and sexual images involving the defendant, his wife and other unknown individuals.

One chat log from 2014 included more than 1,000 entries and took place while McKinney was wither separated from or loving away from his family, Mrs McKay said.

She claimed they depicted him as being verbally abusive towards his wife about their sex life, blaming her for their separation and then encouraging her to take part in activities.

“This is eventually agreed by Lu Na, saying she will change and do whatever McKinney wishes if he will come back to the family,” the barrister continued.

“From reading the entirety of this chat it can be said that McKinney is displaying controlling, degrading treatment toward Lu Na, and manipulating Lu Na to the extent that regardless how she answers or agrees to McKinney’s request the goalposts are continually moved.”

Defence counsel Martin McCann countered that witness evidence against his client involved “second or third-hand hearsay”.

He insisted: “The situation, as described by Mr McKinney to the emergency services and ultimately to the police is that this was an accident.

“He attempted to save his wife’s life and he failed.”

Disputing that a prima facie circumstantial case had been established against his client, Mr McCann added: “The circumstances appear to consist of rumour and innuendo.”

But with detectives still to speak to the accused’s children, Sir Declan confirmed McKinney will not be allowed out of custody to live close to them.

Adjourning the case, he said: “I’m minded in principle to releasing this man on bail when a suitable bail address has been found.”

Belfast Telegraph Digital