Chinese woman Elizabeth Zhong ‘stabbed over 20 times’ by former business partner, New Zealand court hears

Fang Sun pleaded not guilty to the murder of Elizabeth Zhong, or Ying Zhong, whose body was discovered in the boot of her own blood-smeared vehicle in 2020

The 48-year-old blamed Zhong for losing him and his family more than US$16.5 million, prosecutors said in their opening statements at Auckland’s High Court

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Elizabeth Zhong, also known as Ying Zhong, of Sunnyhills, Auckland. Her body was discovered by police in the boot of her blood-smeared Land Rover on November 28, 2020. Photo: Handout via New Zealand Herald

Published: 3:07pm, 26 Apr 2022Updated: 9:02pm, 26 Apr 2022

An embittered former business partner of a Chinese businesswoman stabbed her until she was nearly decapitated before stuffing her body into a suitcase because he blamed her for ruining his life, a New Zealand court heard.

Fang Sun, 48, is accused of murdering Elizabeth Zhong in November 2020. On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to the murder at Auckland’s High Court.

Sun met Zhong in 2013 and the two were initially so close that he had lived with her family after moving to New Zealand from China, prosecutor Gareth Kayes told the court.

But in the years that followed, their businesses went into receivership and Sun accused Zhong of mishandling money, with their partnership devolving into a multi-million dollar lawsuit, Kayes said in his opening statement.

“It would appear Fang Sun blamed Elizabeth Zhong for losing him or his family over NZ$25 million (US$16.5 million),” Kayes said, explaining that in addition to the lawsuit Sun repeatedly threatened Zhong and paid a private investigator up to NZ$300 an hour to follow her for months.

It was clear, Kayes said, that Sun believed Zhong “had become his nemesis”.

Zhong’s body was discovered by police in the boot of her black, blood-smeared Land Rover on November 28, 2020. The vehicle had been left parked on a residential street in Sunnyhills, an east Auckland neighbourhood where both she and Sun lived in nearby homes.