A High Court jury has found Tingjun Cao guilty of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao after deliberating for less than two hours following a seven-week trial.
Cao, who dismissed his lawyers and represented himself with interpreters, showed no reaction to the verdict.
Bao’s partner Paul Gooch called Cao a “scum bag” from the public gallery. Prosecutors presented overwhelming evidence, including DNA links, cellphone data, and CCTV footage that tied Cao to Bao’s disappearance and the scene of her murder.
Bao, a 44-year-old mother, disappeared in July 2023 while showing Cao a property, and her body was found in a shallow grave over a year later. Cao, arrested with a one-way ticket to Shanghai shortly after the disappearance, had denied the charges, accusing police of fabricating evidence. Sentencing is set for March 7, 2025.
The trial was marked by numerous delays and dramatic moments, including Cao’s erratic defense and accusations against witnesses.
Now the New Zealand tax payer has to carry the cost of incarcerating this despicable character. Worse still, he may end up staying here permanently, as China often wont take back nationals, who commit crimes off shore. So there may be a cost in housing and welfare payments, too, going forward.
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