Life sentence for Zhong’s brutal murder

Fang Sun was driven by losing more than $26 million when he entered the home of his former business partner in the early hours and stabbed her multiple times, nearly decapitating her.

Now he will spend at least 181⁄2 years behind bars after being sentenced by Justice Neil Campbell to life imprisonment.

Sun stood emotionless throughout the sentencing and as he was led out of court yesterday morning.

In the High Court at Auckland, Zhong’s daughter, who has name suppression, addressed her mother’s killer directly, saying her life became a horror story.

She said Zhong had been nothing but respectful and kind to Sun’s family after taking them in and cooking countless meals. ‘‘I believe our family has been nothing but nice to his family . . . but for him to turn around and brutally murder my mum,’’ she said. ‘‘He . . . left her no dignity even in death.’’

Zhong’s daughter saw her mum’s lifeless body, beaten and damaged a week later.

‘‘I felt like this part of my life is a horror story, and it just kept going and going as more details emerged,’’ she said.

The family continue to fear for their safety after Sun made multiple threats to Zhong and others.

Explaining murder to Zhong’s daughter’s young daughter had been hard.

‘‘When the offender took my mum from me, he took the rug from underneath me and left me with an empty hole.

‘‘We are all slowly trying to accept nothing can bring my mum back,’’ she said.

Justice Campbell told Zhong’s daughter her mother would be very proud.

Zhong and Sun met in 2013 and went into business together before things unravelled in 2019.

‘‘You and your family bought a civil proceeding in this court. It was bitterly fought and that fight bought you nothing,’’ Justice Campbell said.

‘‘She and your family treated your family as part of theirs, which adds to the tragedy to this case.’’

Justice Campbell said the murder was calculated and callous.

‘‘You left Ms Zhong without any dignity even in death,’’ Justice Campbell said.

Zhong’s stabbed body was found underneath a suitcase and bloodied blankets.

Sun was arrested and charged with murder in February last year.

Defence lawyer Sam Wimsett said there was little he could submit to the court given his client still maintains his innocence.