Robert Xie sentenced to life in jail for 'blood-soaked' murder of Lin family.

By Clare Blumer and Lucy Carter.

Lin family killer Robert Xie, who murdered five members of his family, has been given five life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Xie, now 53, bludgeoned to death members of his extended family — his brother-in-law Min Lin, Min Lin’s wife Lily, their children Henry and Terry, and Lily’s sister Irene Lin — at their Epping home in January 2009.

There were tears from the Lin family grandparents as Justice Elizabeth Fullerton described the killings as “blood soaked”.

“The bedrooms in which the deceased were found were awash with shed blood,” Justice Fullerton said, calling the crime a “murderous assault”.

“[Xie’s] intention that all of the occupants should die despite the active resistance offered by Terry Lin, the youngest member of the family,” she said.

The guilty verdict was a long time coming — four trials have been held since 2014.

The jury was hung in the third trial while new evidence and a sick judge saw the first two juries discharged.

Lian Bin “Robert” Xie was born in China and emigrated to Australia in 1999, the judge told the court.

Justice Fullerton said Xie was qualified as a ear, nose and throat specialist in China, had run a restaurant in Melbourne when he arrived in Australia but had not had employment since.

Xie portrayed little emotion as the sentence was handed down.

More to come.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.