$1m or we will kill your daughter

(From left) Zu Ping Zhou, Chang Song Li and Xiang Quan Chen pleaded guilty. Wanzhe Gui (right) has yet to enter a plea. Picture / Brett Phibbs

A kidnapping gang told the elderly parents of a Chinese woman that if they did not pay a $1 million ransom, they would never see their daughter again.

The couple were instructed to tell their daughter's husband to pay half the money by noon the following day and the rest the day after.

"If you don't get one million ready, go and pick up your daughter's body," the kidnappers warned.

"Don't report it to the police. If you report it to the police, we've got guns. We will kill all three of you."

The terrifying detail of Qing Zhao's kidnap ordeal, and that of her parents, Hongbin Zhou and Dongmei Li, was heard in the Manukau District Court yesterday.

Three Chinese men pleaded guilty to kidnapping the 42-year-old from her Howick home in March.

Chang Song Li, 32, unemployed, Zu Ping Zhou, 19, and Xiang Quan Chen, 28, unemployed, admitted charges of aggravated burglary and kidnap.

Chen further admitted using a firearm in the commission of a crime. Sentencing is next month.

A fourth man, Wanzhe Gui, 30, unemployed, has yet to enter a plea. All four were remanded in custody.

Zhou had worked as a plasterer at the home in Bleakhouse Rd that Qing Zhao, also known as Kelly, shared with her husband, Yung Kam.

He took note of Mr Kam's wealth, particularly his four luxury motor vehicles, and hatched a plan to steal his safe or take a hostage.

After carrying out a reconnaissance of the property, the kidnappers took care not to activate outside sensor lights and broke in through a window after turning off the power around 2am on March 7.

They climbed into the bedroom of Mrs Zhao's parents and took $2500 before putting Mrs Zhao into her Mini Cooper.

As they were about to drive off, Mr Kam returned home from a night at the casino. After being threatened with a gun, Mr Kam reversed his car at high speed down the drive, smashing through the property's security gates.

Mrs Zhao, who lost consciousness due to stress, was driven away and taken to a house in Tuakiri St, Pt England, where she was kept in a cupboard for 20 hours, bound and gagged, with no food and little water.

One of the kidnappers returned to the kidnap scene to check whether the police had been called.

When he reported back to his colleagues that the police were swarming all over the property, Mrs Zhao believed she was going to be killed.

Instead, the kidnappers became resigned to the fact that they would receive no ransom and released her in an industrial area of Onehunga.

She was able to undo her bonds and phone her husband.

An unsuccessful attempt was made to use Mrs Zhao's credit card at an ATM machine.

Yesterday, Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Grimstone said that Mrs Zhao was still traumatised.

"She has not been able to come to any court appearances. She is still having trouble sleeping.

"This has just had a massive effect on her. She is still really, really struggling with the whole thing three months on."