Nai Yin Xue broke down and wept today as a pathologist gave details of how his wife's naked body was discovered in the boot of a car still with a man's yellow tie around her neck.
The emotional scenes in Auckland District Court came after Xue's defence lawyer said it could not be ruled out that another person killed his wife Anan Liu and left her in the boot of his work car.
Counsel Chris Comeskey made the comments at a depositions hearing to determine if Xue will stand trial for the murder of his wife last September and amid tense cross-examination of a woman who was a friend of the accused.
Guiquing Jia angrily told Mr Comeskey she would refuse to answer any further questions from him if he continued to imply she and Xue had anything more than a normal friendship.
Mrs Jia met Xue while her husband was overseas and duringa time Xue was separated from his wife who had fled with their daughter to Wellington.
Mrs Jia said she had gone to Xue's home several times but told the court she was not the one on trial.
After being instructed by one of the two Justices of the Peace presiding at the hearing to answer the questions to the best of her ability, Mrs Jia said when it came to "private matters" which she believed were irrelevant to the case she could decline to answer.
Mr Comeskey replied it was relevant and was not for Mrs Jia to determine what evidence was relevant.
"You can't rule out another person is responsible." Mr Comeskey asked Mrs Jia if her husband had questioned her over her relationship with Xue, causing Mrs Jia to ask why she was being asked such questions.
Mrs Jia said her husband had never asked and was never suspicious over her friendship with Xue.
Mrs Jia said she needed to make it clear for those who did not know that her husband was two years younger then her, very handsome and "there is nothing that he is lacking in comparison to him".
Mrs Jia said she did not know why such "outrageous accusations" were being put to her.
"I helped Xue during his most difficult times. I never thought he would turn on me like this."
This afternoon a pathologist gave details about how Ms Liu was strangled with a yellow tie before the court adjourned for lunch when Xue was overcome with emotion, wiping his eyes and openly crying.
