Lawyers argue his trial involved a miscarriage of justice
A Christchurch man convicted of murdering real estate agent Yanfei Bao is appealing his sentence, arguing that his trial was flawed, according to a report by Radio New Zealand.
Chinese national Tingjun Cao, 54, lodged his appeal with the Court of Appeal on July 11. Court documents show his legal team has cited a “miscarriage of justice,” but the specific grounds will be set out once the case is reviewed. Cao has continued to deny involvement in Bao’s death.
Bao disappeared in July 2023 after going to meet Cao for a supposed property viewing in Hornby. She never collected her daughter from an after-school programme that day, and police later found her phone discarded near the southern motorway. Within days, Cao was arrested at Christchurch Airport carrying a one-way ticket to Shanghai.
Police alleged he had attacked Bao, transported her in his car, and killed her on a rural road near Lincoln. Almost a year later, her body was discovered in a shallow grave at a nearby farm. Cao was originally charged with kidnapping before facing a murder charge in September 2023. He was sentenced to life in prison in June this year, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.
Immigration New Zealand confirmed it had served Cao with a deportation notice in June, meaning he will be removed from the country once his sentence is complete.
During sentencing, Bao’s family described the lasting impact of her death.
In a statement read to the court, her daughter said: “You took my mummy away from me and my life has not been the same since. I miss my mummy every single day.”
