Murder accused Jia-Chun Hu told a High Court jury yesterday of an explosion of pent-up anger which resulted in the death of his wife.
Hu, aged 41, is accused of murdering his 35-year-old estranged wife, Jian Huang, by repeatedly stabbing her in her New Lynn unit on February 26.
The Crown says that Hu, eaten up with anger and jealousy, lay in wait for his wife's return.
Hu told his lawyer, Steve Cullen, of how the marriage had broken down, ending in a separation agreement, and how he blamed his wife's lover, referred to in court as the Hong Kong man.
In his opening address, Mr Cullen told the court that Hu had done everything to win his wife back, including signing over his share of the property to her.
But Hu said that at every turn, he had to compete with the Hong Kong man for his estranged wife's affections.
On the day of the killing, he had arranged to go swimming with her and their 5-year-old son, but she cancelled, he believed, to be with the Hong Kong man.
He told his wife by phone that if she really enjoyed the companionship of the Hong Kong man, he and his son would prefer not to live.
His wife told police he was demanding $30,000 or he would kill the boy.
Hu denied he was waiting for his wife; he had gone to his wife's unit to get his son some food.
He said that when his wife came home he was holding a knife with which he had been cutting an apple.
She was on her mobile phone to the Hong Kong man.
Hu said that Jian Huang started screaming, demanding to know where the boy was. She lunged at him and started fighting.
Hu told the jury: "I was very, very angry. Anger that was pent-up inside me suddenly burst out as if I had gone mad ...
"Everything that had pent up inside me about her affairs with the Hong Kong man had suddenly found an outlet, bursting out."
Hu said his mind went totally blank. He could not control himself.
"I had no idea what I was doing."
The next thing he remembered was holding his wife in his arms and the police pulling him off her.
Accused: anger burst out as if I was mad
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