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Yanfei Bao murder trial: Tingjun Cao found guilty
Chinese national Tingjun Cao has been found guilty of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao by a High Court jury.
The jury delivered its verdict after deliberating for less than two hours after a seven-week trial during which Cao sacked his defence lawyers and represented himself with the help of a trio of interpreters.
Cao did not react to the verdict and stood in the dock staring ahead with his hands clasped behind his back.
“You might want to get a refund on that plane ticket you scum bag,” Bao’s partner Paul Gooch said from the public gallery.
The judge thanked the jury, noting it had been a lengthy and challenging trial.
Cao’s sentencing has been set down for 7 March, 2025.
Yanfei Bao’s partner Paul Gooch speaks to media after a jury find Tingjun Cao guilty of her July 2024 murder. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
Outside court, Gooch told reporters the unimaginable circumstances of her death had been a heavy burden to bear.
“Coming to terms with this devastating loss has been an incredibly challenging journey, especially considering the complete lack of remorse displayed by the individual responsible.
“His actions throughout this trial have highlighted a profound absence of humanity.
Gooch thanked police and jurors for their efforts, saying he was comforted that justice had been served.
In a statement, Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves acknowledged the verdict.
“This was no ordinary case and it will leave a lasting impact on all staff involved including myself.
“We would like to acknowledge the strength of Yanfei Bao’s family who have endured a terribly distressing experience.”
Reeves thanked all those who had been involved in the investigation and trial.
“Our thoughts are with Yanfei’s family and while the verdict has been reached, this is just one part of the healing process.
“I acknowledge the strength they have shown and, while the outcome does not bring Yanfei back, I hope they take some comfort knowing that the person responsible will be held accountable.”
Yanfei Bao. Photo: Supplied
On Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Pip Currie told the jury the case against Cao was an “absolute slam dunk” with compelling and overwhelming evidence showing his guilt.
In her closing argument she outlined the abundance of data, including that which placed them together at the time of Bao’s disappearance and death and ultimately where her body was found.
DNA also linked them both to the Hornby property from which Bao disappeared, Cao’s palm print was found on her broken cellphone and a photo of a naked woman’s body taken by Cao’s phone and later deleted.
Cao claimed police officers had lied, fabricated and planted evidence, and doctored images and videos to blame him.
While delivering his closing argument, he regularly turned and spoke to the glass panes of an empty dock.
At other times, he rambled through measurements and minutiae that were difficult to link to his innocence or the case.
Tingjun Cao in the dock of the Christchurch High Court facing the jury on a charge of murder relating to real estate agent Yanfei Bao. Photo: The Press / Peter Meecham
The Crown argued Bao, 44, disappeared on 19 July 2023 while showing the Trevor Street house to Cao.
Her husband, Paul Gooch, reported her missing that night and her cellphone was found in grass on the side of the southern motorway on 21 July.
Cao, 53, who arrived in New Zealand months before Bao’s murder, was arrested at Christchurch Airport, with a one-way ticket to Shanghai days after her disappearance.
He was initially charged with Bao’s kidnapping but two days later, police said they did not believe the mother-of-one was alive and detectives launched a homicide investigation.
Cao was charged with Yanfei Bao’s murder last September, to which he pleaded not guilty. A kidnapping charge was later dropped.
Bao lived in Christchurch with Gooch and her daughter who was aged 9 when she disappeared.
Her body was found just over a year later on 31 July, buried in a shallow grave along a treeline on a Greenpark farm.
The trial before Justice Lisa Preston began on 21 October and was punctuated by a number of adjournments.
Cao, who pleaded not guilty, was initially represented by Colin Eason and Joshua Macleod, but fired his lawyers within weeks.
Justice Preston appointed the men as standby counsel, which meant they could assist with tasks such as cross-examining witnesses, advising on questions of law or appropriate behaviour in court.
Detective Nicola Reeves speaks to media after Tingjun Cao is found guilty of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao in July 2023. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
She told the jury at the time that Cao was within his rights to defend himself and she believed it was in the best interests of justice for the trial to continue.
Scores of witnesses gave evidence, including on CCTV footage, cellphone data, social media records, blood stains found at the vacant Trevor Street property for sale and in Cao’s car. The court also watched a six-hour police interview with Cao, recorded days after Bao was reported missing.
Justice Preston repeatedly warned Cao about asking irrelevant questions, making meandering and repetitive statements and accusing witnesses of lying.
rnz
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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