The final video taken by alleged murder victim Yanfei Bao on the day the Crown says she was killed has been shown to the jury.
Giving evidence at the High Court in Christchurch, Detective Leanne Benjamin told the court the short clip was recorded on the victim’s phone at 11.26am on July 19, 2023.
The Crown’s case is that the real estate agent met the defendant Tingjun Cao at a property in Hornby, where he attacked her.
They claim she arrived at the for-sale property at around 10am and that Cao arrived just before 11am.
Benjamin told the court that she recognised the dark carpet from inside the Trevor St property on the short clip.
Played in slow motion, a buckle could be made out in the video.
The detective said it matches a key chain Bao was carrying in a CCTV image taken two days before she disappeared.
In full speed, the video also had an unidentifiable sound.
Crown prosecutor Cameron Stuart asked the witness about that. She replied: “There was an audio that I couldn’t establish.”
Benjamin said another forensic officer also analysed the sound but that he couldn’t identify it either.
Under cross examination by the accused, she added the video was just one part of evidence corroborating that Bao was in the house where police say she was attacked on July 19.
Cao maintains the witness’ statement is false, and denies the offending.
By Lisa Davies and Laura James
