KEY POINTS:
With a cry that translates as "Let's all die", Korean cabinetmaker Chul Jun Cho set fire to his brother-in-law's West Auckland dental surgery, killing his own de facto wife in the process, police allege.
Cho, 44, was yesterday sent to the High Court to stand trial on a
charge of murdering his partner, Misook Kim, attempting to murder brother-in-law Choonsik "Andy" Moon, and setting fire to Dr Moon's Great North Rd, Henderson, dental surgery.
Prosecutors said Cho's actions were driven by rage after his alleged victims, and his sister, Dr Moon's wife, went on an all-night gambling binge at Auckland's SkyCity casino.
The money spent was earmarked to pay school fees for Ms Kim's daughter, a police summary said.
Money was tight in the Cho household, a Waitakere District Court depositions hearing was told yesterday. Dr Moon told the court he had seen Cho "stressed out" over money, and Ms Kim helped at his dental surgery and did housework at his home at weekends.
Ms Kim had accompanied Dr Moon and his wife, Yeung Jun Cho, to SkyCity on the night of February 1. She loaned Dr Moon $3000 after he ran out of cash about midnight, the court heard.
Police say Cho became "enraged" after Ms Kim failed to come home that night, and she later went to stay with relatives to keep away from him.
Dr Moon told the court Cho had contacted him on February 2, and the two men met at the dentist's home that night. There, Cho allegedly warned Dr Moon of the dangers of gambling.
"He asked me not to go [to the casino], because it is not a good way to live."
The court was told Cho went to Dr Moon's Toothcare West surgery next morning, Saturday, February 3, looking for Ms Kim.
She later asked Dr Moon for $2000, which she then gave to Cho.
But Cho is alleged to have returned to the surgery later that morning, armed with a crowbar and a 20-litre container of a flammable liquid.
"He was in a state. Very upset, angry," Dr Moon said. Police say Cho beat Dr Moon, but the dentist would concede only that a physical struggle took place.
Not that Dr Moon was not afraid, the court was told.
"I thought I have got to get out of here ... When he is upset he is really not controlling himself."
Dr Moon fled the building, but returned soon after when he realised Ms Kim was still inside. He said he went back inside to see Cho "trying to slap" Ms Kim.
He said he watched Ms Kim "just fall down on the floor".
Police said it was then that Cho noticed Dr Moon and used a cigarette lighter to set fire to the liquid as he cried, "Let's all die".
However, in court yesterday Dr Moon said the chemicals police alleged were brought to the scene by Cho were his own cleaning products.
He also said the phrase, which in English translates as "Let's all die," was a common Korean term, not to be taken literally.
Ms Kim could not be rescued from the building, and perished in the fire.
Cho is alleged to have later told police he took the liquid to Dr Moon's surgery to scare him as he was angry over his partner's casino visit. Cho's lawyer, Hugh Leabourn, conceded his client had a prima facie case to answer. Cho was remanded in custody to a High Court call-over in November.
