Newly released court documents reveal police in Auckland encountered murder-accused Nai Yin Xue twice in the days before he fled New Zealand.
The 54-year-old is accused of strangling his wife Anan Liu in Auckland before fleeing the country and abandoning their three-year-old daughter at a railway station in Melbourne. He pleaded not guilty to the charge on Thursday.
According to prosecution papers seen by Radio New Zealand, Mr Xue, who denies strangling his wife, arranged to leave the country but was initially going to leave his daughter behind.
The prosecution's written evidence, available following a decision on Thursday to commit Mr Xue to stand trial, includes evidence about protection orders Ms Liu took out, and how she married him after being refused a work permit.
The Crown documents show police pulled Mr Xue over after he swerved across a road on what may have been the night Ms Liu his died in September last year.
Police let him go after he passed a breath test.
A day later, Mr Xue went to the Henderson police station to retrieve the passport, swords and axe seized from him when he was arrested over an alleged domestic violence incident.
A travel agent says Mr Xue then booked himself a flight to Melbourne, returning only shortly before the flight to buy a ticket for his daughter, who was described as uncommunicative and staring blankly.
Not guilty plea
Mr Xue was committed to trial at the end of a preliminary hearing in Auckland District Court on Thursday.
He spoke clearly in English as he entered a not guilty plea, saying "I am innocent".
The accused had earlier wept as the court on Thursday heard from a pathologist about how Anan Liu died.
The Crown says Mr Xue fled to the United States, abandoning his three-year-old daughter en route at a Melbourne railway station.
Mr Xue was remanded in custody until 15 October for an administrative hearing.
