Wife foresaw violent death

Jian Huang foreshadowed her death at the hands of her husband Jia-Chun Hu in a scathing letter to him, a jury in the High Court at Auckland heard yesterday.

Hu, aged 41, represented by Steve Cullen, is accused of murdering his estranged 35-year-old wife by repeatedly stabbing her at her New Lynn unit on February 26.

The Crown, represented by Aaron Perkins and Jonathon Krebs, says Hu, consumed by anger and jealousy, was lying in wait for her.

Hu, a heavy gambler, had signed his share in the property over to his wife, but was said to have changed his mind and started demanding $30,000.

He was also "enormously jealous" over her association with a person referred to in court as the Hong Kong man.

In a letter written to Hu last December, Jian Huang said she had made up her mind to leave him because of his violence and his gambling.

She was a good wife and they had a lovely 5-year-old child, but, she said, Hu never treasured this.

"Time after time, if it was not physical abuse, it was verbal abuse. You threatened me at every turn."

She said she had made great sacrifices, but "all the sins became ingrained when you started gambling."

Jian Huang said she had no freedom at all.

Initially she thought money could buy anything, including the welfare of their child.

"It turned out that you were spoiled more and more, allowing you to lie in bed all day watching TV."

It was hard for her to earn a living, but she said Hu used her money to buy a Rolex watch.

When they saw each other, the first thing he asked about was money.

"I really cannot work like this any more ... You are not a human being. You are not a man ... You should begin anew to earn your own living."

She said Hu hit her to such a degree that "I would rather die than live ... You thought you could control me like this forever."

There was no love between them; he hung on to her to make a living.

She said Hu thought her a bottomless hole he could keep digging.

Towards the end of the letter, Jian Huang said: "If another violent behaviour should occur, do you want to kill me? The child will then have no mother. You will return to China to be in prison."

Earlier, Detective Constable Geoffrey Garrett said Hu told him in an interview that he and his former wife had quarrelled while he was holding a knife.

She grabbed him and they fell downstairs.

Hu said that every time he saw her with the Hong Kong man "I go crazy. I don't know what I am doing."

Hu told him that he had arranged to go swimming with Jian Huang and their son that day but she cancelled, saying she had to work.

But as he was driving, his son spotted his mother's car heading towards the West Auckland suburb where the Hong Kong man lived.

Hu said he hated the Hong Kong man for contributing to the breakup of his marriage.

The Crown says that Hu got his son to put his arm through a mail slot to open the door to his wife's unit so that he could wait for her.

But in his interview, Hu said the boy wanted something to eat and he remained with him, keeping him company in bed.

Hu told the officer that when his wife came home, he heard her on her cellphone to the Hong Kong man.

He was confused, crazy and lost control.

The trial continues.