The High Court in Christchurch has heard evidence about murder-accused Tingjun Cao being stopped for a police vehicle check on the same day he was arrested.
Officers involved in the stop on July 22, 2023, three days after Yanfei Bao’s disappearance, have detailed how it unfolded as the trial reaches its fifth week.
Acting Sergeant Abigail Howe, who initiated the stop, recalled Cao was holding his phone when she arrived so his hands caught her attention.
“I saw that he had scratches on his hands which looked quite fresh. I believed they were quite fresh as there was blood coming from some of the scratches.”
She also noticed the vehicle’s wheels and back bumper were muddy.
Constable Clayton Davison explained the reason for the roadside check to the jury.
“[Cao’s] vehicle showed an alert for possibly being linked to a missing person.”
The officers wanted to see Cao’s identification and Davison said Cao kept pointing at the car.
“He signalled towards the boot of the vehicle and I asked if his bag was in there, he nodded his head, and said there, there. I popped the boot and it was completely empty.”
He told the jury it didn’t even have a boot liner.
“I did not notice if the boot was wet or not. I did notice a small red stain against the rear of the back wall of the back seat. I could not tell if it was blood or paint but I made a mental note of it.”
The court’s previously heard evidence that blood was later found in multiple places inside the vehicle.
Cao — who has continued to conduct his own defence — asked Davison about the blood and why he didn’t see it.
“I didnt see any blood,” he said.
But, he explained: “I opened the boot, I looked back from outside the boot, I never entered it.”
The defendant finished his cross examination of the witness by thanking him for being the only officer in two weeks to tell the truth.
Cao, 53, was arrested at Christchurch Airport later the same day as the vehicle check.
He has denied murdering real estate agent Yanfei Bao on 19 July, 2023.
The trial continues.
