Police are confident they have found the remains of missing Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao. Video / NZ Herald
The man who murdered Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao has been kicked out of his own sentencing hearing after constantly interrupting proceedings with angry outbursts and refusing to listen to the judge.
Chinese national Tingjun Cao is appearing in the High Court at Christchurch today to find outhis fate for killing Bao in 2023.
The hearing was adjourned earlier so that Cao could speak to his lawyers. He had been confused at what the hearing was for, believing it was a chance for him to appeal his conviction.
The adjournment came after Cao repeatedly shouted, yelled, and waved his fist, interrupting the judge and directing comments at the public gallery.
Sentencing will resume shortly - with Cao watching proceedings via a videolink in a different room.
Justice Lisa Preston. Photo / George Heard
Cao will be sentenced to life in prison - unless he or his lawyers can prove it would be manifestly unjust - and will likely be ordered to spend a lengthy time behind bars until he can be considered for parole.
Bao, 44, was killed on July 19, 2023.
Cao, whom she had met very briefly once, sent Bao a message asking if she had any houses on the market as a friend in China wanted to buy a property.
Real estate agent Yanfei Bao. Photo / Supplied
The mother-of-one replied she had several for sale around the city and asked what the buyer’s needs were. Cao allegedly replied his friend wanted a three-bedroom house up to $650,000 in a good location.
They arranged to meet at a property on Trevor St in Hornby.
Closed-circuit television showed each of them turning up at the house. Bao was never seen leaving.
She was reported missing later that day when she failed to pick up her young daughter from school.
In the days that followed, Bao’s cellphone and car were found - but there was no trace of her.
Yanfei Bao's discarded and damaged phone which was found on a roadside the day after she disappeared. Photo / Supplied
Police identified Cao as a suspect early on after a member of the public reported him behaving strangely in a suburban street near where Bao’s phone was found.
Cao was being watched by police when he attempted to flee the country. He was arrested at Christchurch Airport after purchasing a one-way ticket to China.
He was initially charged with kidnapping Bao. Later, police found enough evidence to satisfy them he had killed her.
While Cao awaited his trial in prison, police continued to search for Bao.
Tingjun Cao at the High Court in Christchurch trial. Photo / George Heard
On July 30, 2024 - after cracking the code on her phone and unlocking vital GPS data - they found the place Cao had hidden his victim’s body.
Cao went on trial in the High Court at Christchurch before Justice Preston and a jury.
In the early stages of the trial, Cao fired his lawyer, choosing to represent himself.
He then mounted a prolonged and unusual self‑defence, claiming the evidence against him was planted by police and that a man named Mr Tang killed Bao.
But the Crown had a very strong case against Cao, including forensic, CCTV and phone data that backed up their narrative of the crime.
It took the jury just 97 minutes to return a unanimous guilty verdict.
Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 19 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz.
