That was one of her motivations for learning English, the young man said.
Manchao Li pictured arriving in the dock in the High Court at Auckland on day one of his trial. Photo / Dean Purcell
Yang and Li married in China in 1997 before moving in 2001 to New Zealand where they bought a property in Blockhouse Bay.
The court heard in the early 2000s, Li teamed up with Auckland Act MP Kenneth Wang to present a petition to Parliament urging harsher penalties for lower level crimes.
About this time, Yang's son said Yang and Li's relationship deteriorated and the latter would raise his voice in arguments.
The victim's son said he would cry alone in his bedroom because he feared for his mother's safety.
"I was too young. I felt very very helpless," he said.
Later, the boy and his mum would quietly exchange words in the bedroom. She would say that when he grew up he had to make her proud, he said.
"As if that was the only hope because her life was in trouble."
After they separated in 2005, Li came to Yang's Avondale home and there was a loud argument, the court heard.
Yang's son recalled her saying they had to leave right away and they ended up in a safe house.
Around the same time she sought a protection order, he said.
"The basis for the order was threatening to kill."
Defence lawyer Sam Wimsett asked the young man if Yang and Li's relationship had been a "marriage of convenience" for immigration purposes.
He replied that his mother would not have needed that as she qualified as a skilled migrant on her own.
The memorial for Zhimin Yang on Westgate Drive in the West Auckland suburb of Massey. Photo / Brett Phibbs
In 2016, a High Court judge determined Li had bought a Christchurch property using proceeds of the Blockhouse Bay sale and he was ordered to sell the Christchurch house so his ex-wife could recoup her half of the relationship property.
Li's former Kingsdale Rd flatmate told the court this afternoon that Li was fixated with the fact his former partner had found a good job.
