The trial for a man accused of killing his partner, who was missing for 14 months, will begin on Wednesday.
Yun Qing "Jack" Liu, 58, was charged with the murder of 44-year-old accountant Cissy Chen after her remains were found in March, 2014.
He has been on electronically-monitored bail at his Torbay home for the last six months.
Ms Chen was last seen alive on November 5, 2012, after leaving the accountancy firm she worked at and driving home to the North Shore.
Police found her body after a contractor mowing the lawns at Totaravale Reserve discovered a ribcage and a skull in a drain.
Most of Ms Chen's remains were found nearby, and Liu was arrested and charged with murder within weeks.
The scheduled eight-week trial, before Justice Sarah Katz and a jury of twelve, was due to begin this morning.
A jury was selected today but the Crown will now open its case on Wednesday.
The length of the trial is due to the necessity to translate into Mandarin, as the accused is not proficient in English.
- Rob Kidd, NZME. News Service court reporter
