20 Oct 2011

Closing submissions in Kiko murder trial

10:45 pm on 20 October 2011

The Crown says even if a man on trial for murdering a young woman did not deliver the fatal stab wound, there is more than enough evidence to prove he is guilty of murder.

Jiayi Li, known as Kiko, died after being stabbed 22 times in May last year.

Honglin Yu is accused of murdering her and is appearing in the Auckland High Court.

Another man, Yongxin Li, has previously pleaded guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In his closing address on Thursday, Crown prosecutor Aaron Perkins said Mr Yu encouraged Yongxin Li to kill, bought the murder weapon, planned the killing and drove Ms Li to the murder scene in West Auckland.

Text messages between the men in the days leading up to the death record plans to kill someone for their money and show Mr Yu suggesting Ms Li.

However, when the accused took the stand on Wednesday, he told the jury he never had any intention of hurting Ms Li and tried to talk Yongxin Li out of committing the crime.

Defence lawyer Mark Edgar told the court on Thursday his client made a number of stupid mistakes but did not fatally stab one of his closest female friends.

Mr Edgar says his client has admitted knowing that Yongxin Li had a knife with him on the night of the murder.

The judge will sum up the case on Friday before the jury begins its deliberations.