Murderer Xue plans book

Nai Yin Xue plans to write a book. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Convicted murderer Nai Yin Xue is continuing to protest his innocence of killing his wife An An Liu even from behind bars.

He plans to publish a book on "the truth", and was using his spare time to develop new martial arts moves and improve his English, reported the New Zealand Chinese Herald.

"The day will come when people will know that I am innocent," Xue said in an interview in Mandarin with Chinese Herald reporter Conney Zhang.

His wife's body was found naked, except for a pair of white gloves, in the boot of his work car, with a man's tie around her neck and partially wrapped across her eyes.

Xue fled New Zealand and abandoned his 3-year-old daughter Qian Xun, also known as Pumpkin, at a Melbourne railway station before boarding a flight to Los Angeles.

He is awaiting sentencing on July 31 for the murder of his wife on or around September 11, 2007, and is facing life imprisonment.

But the self-proclaimed kung fu master says he is making the most of his time in prison.

"Prison is the best place to focus on my martial arts, and I am also taking the opportunity to develop new moves," he said.

"It is also good that I am sharing my nine square metre cell with a foreigner [non-Chinese person], because it forces me to speak English, which has improved considerably since I entered prison."

Xue was not a good writer, but was determined to write a book "so people can know the truth".

A former Chinese newspaper publisher in Auckland, Xue has produced two books: Inner Strength Kung fu shocks US in 2002, and The Pearl of Wu-style Taiji in 1998 - where he described himself as a "gift from the gods", a product of a miracle birth and a man destined to be the great grandmaster of Chinese martial arts.

Xue said he had "plenty of free time" in prison, where he would play cards or pool with other Chinese inmates in the common room.

"Once I've been able to accept the fact that I'm in prison, it's just like another 9-to-5 job," he said.

Xue remains in denial about the murder of his wife. He said he learned about An An's death from newspaper reports more than a week after the murder, when he was in America.

"I was shocked, upset and worried, and didn't want to go home. I just travelled and wandered aimlessly in the city," Xue said.

"I landed in the bar and drank a lot, and ended up spending the night on a bench in the park."

He said he still had "good dreams" about happier times with An An, and that in his mind, she was "still alive".

Xue broke down when asked about his children, and said he was "sorry" for having let them down.

"I have not been a good father because I have placed too much emphasis on my career and my martial arts and neglected my family," he said.

"I have not thought about what I will do after I leave prison, but it will be something to do with martial arts, because my love for it will never change."