Murder accused's DNA 'on victim's socks'

Yin Ping Yang. Photo / Supplied

A 29-year-old South Auckland man has been committed for trial on a charge of murdering an elderly Chinese woman last year.

Olinali Ah You was remanded in custody to reappear in the High Court at Auckland on July 15, after a depositions hearing in the Manukau District Court yesterday.

Ah You, whose name suppression was lifted yesterday, is accused of murdering 80-year-old Yin Ping Yang on June 11.

Mrs Yang died in Middlemore Hospital on June 14, three days after she was attacked and beaten in her Manurewa home.

Crown prosecutor Steven Haszard told the court Mrs Yang lived with her son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.

On June 11, she caught a glimpse of the defendant standing beside her in the house.

"He grabbed her from behind, wrapping one hand around her mouth to keep her quiet and one hand around her shoulders," Mr Haszard said.

Mrs Yang grabbed a telephone to call for help but was punched, causing her nose to bleed.

"He then led her towards the bedroom. Mrs Yang resisted as best she could, but her attempts were futile as she was 80 years old.

"He pushed the telephone handset into her mouth, and forensics later found blood on it," Mr Haszard said.

The defendant tried to push Mrs Yang into a wardrobe but she would not fit.

He pushed her to the ground and slammed the wardrobe door into her head. He then stomped on her chest with such force she lost consciousness.

Mr Haszard said the defendant kicked Mrs Yang about the body and head, causing her to end up partly under the bed.

He placed a duvet cover over her and went into another bedroom, where he found $2000 cash, and left the house.

Mrs Yang was left on the floor in her bedroom until 9.30pm, when her son and granddaughter discovered her semi-conscious.

There was no obvious sign of forced entry, so they assumed she had fainted.

But at Middlemore Hospital, her injuries were recognised as being in line with a significant assault.

Mrs Yang gave police a brief description of her attacker on June 12, two days before she died.

Mr Haszard said Ah You's DNA was found on the wardrobe doors, and on Mrs Yang's socks from when she tried to kick him.

"It does put Ah You at the scene as the attacker."

NZPA