A day after being found guilty of murdering his wife and dumping her body in the boot of a car, Nai Yin Xue is protesting his innocence and considering an appeal.
His lawyer, Chris Comesky, last night confirmed his office would review the way Justice Hugh Williams summarised the case and decide whether grounds existed for an appeal.
As the guilty verdict was read in the High Court at Auckland yesterday, Xue became upset, punching the air with his fist and shouting "unfair, unfair".
He said "I am innocent" as he was lead away to the cells. The commotion caused at least two members of the all-women jury to cry, while others bowed their heads. In an interview with the Sunday News, Xue said his conscience was clear and he was "very keen" to appeal the verdict.
During the three-week trial, the court was told 55-year-old Xue's troubled marriage tragically ended when he strangled his 28-year-old wife An An Liu with a tie and left her naked body inside his company car parked outside their Auckland home.
It was revealed he appeared at Waitakere District Court three months before his wife's death, accused of assaulting her.
Judge Phil Recordon convicted Xue for assaulting a child, assaulting a woman and using threatening language.
He ordered no punishment, providing he did not come up for sentence if called on within one year.
Through a translator and his lawyer, Xue told the newspaper he was innocent.
"I am mystified about the verdict because my conscience is clear and I know in my mind I am not the killer."
He admitted he had done himself no favours by abandoning his daughter at a Melbourne train station but insisted that did not make him the killer. "I am distraught about spending years behind bars," he said.
