Stabbed pair had sought police help
Police refused to accompany two men serving trespass orders who were stabbed to death just hours later.
Cheng Qi ‘‘Chris’’ Wang, 52, is charged with the murder of 44-year-old Zhuo ‘‘Michael’’ Wu and 53-year-old Yishan ‘‘Tom’’ Zhong at his $2 million home in Mt Albert about 11am on January 14 last year.
Mr Zhong was found lying dead in the driveway with three stab wounds, and Mr Wu, with 23 stab wounds, was found seriously injured near the stairs. He died a short time later.
Wang has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Two weapons – a hunting knife and a kitchen knife – were found at the scene.
Yesterday, a jury in the High Court in Auckland was told that Wang had been in dispute with his former wife Michelle Chen over residential properties they owned together.
Ms Chen had gone back to China and enlisted the help of Mr Wu, a private investigator called Phil Jones and a property lawyer called David Snedden to help her gain some control over the properties.
Mr Wu and Mr Zhong had known Wang for some time. Both had gone into business with him, disputes had arisen and the relationships had soured. One led to a Serious Fraud Office investigation, still unresolved.
Before Christmas, trespass notices had been served on Wang but nothing had happened.
On the morning of the attack Mr Wu rang a police officer he knew to ask for help enforcing four trespass notices on Wang. The officer was on leave so told Mr Wu to talk to someone at the Avondale police station.
Crown prosecutor Kevin Glubb said that after waiting in line, Mr Wu was told by the woman behind the counter she could not allocate staff to the task but he should ring 111 on the way to the address and ask for help if needed.
At the Mt Albert house, the two made their way up the stairs, where they encountered a young woman. She told Wang he had visitors and, at his instructions, went to wait on the balcony.
The Crown alleges that on seeing the two men, Wang pulled a hunting knife from his bedside table and used ‘‘wanton, senseless and unnecessary violence’’ on them.
Mr Wu collapsed at the front of the stairs, Mr Zhong ‘‘staggered head-long into the garden’’ collapsed and died.
Wang’s lawyer, Thomas Sutcliffe, told the jury that Wang was acting in self-defence. He said, as his client saw it, ‘‘this was a struggle to the death’’.