Yanfei Bao case: Accused sacks lawyers, will represent himself in trial

The man accused of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao has sacked his lawyers and is representing himself at his High Court trial.

Chinese national Tingjun Cao, 53, sat at a table between his former defence counsel and a trio of translators on Wednesday morning.

Justice Lisa Preston told the jury Cao planned to conduct his own defence and that she believed it was in the interests of justice to proceed with the trial.

His former defence lawyers, Colin Eason and Joshua Macleod, were appointed standby counsel.

Preston told the jury that meant they could help Cao with a range of duties, such as cross-examining witnesses, and advising on questions of law and appropriate behaviour in court.

She said there was no change in Cao's position from the beginning of his trial - that he says the evidence does not prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

The Crown argued that Cao murdered Yanfei Bao on the day she vanished - 19 July, 2023 - after arranging to meet her at a home for sale in Hornby.

On Wednesday morning, police dive squad member Seda Clayton-Greene gave evidence about searches following Bao's disappearance, including of an effluent pond at a Greenpark farm.

Senior sergeant Paul Manhire later gave evidence about the discovery of Bao's body in a shallow grave along a treeline in July.

Cao, via an interpreter, asked several questions of the witness during cross-examination, including an alleged witness sighting of a "man of small stature" cleaning his car with a milk bottle of water on 19 July.

"If you looked at me, would I be of short, or medium or big stature?" he asked.

"I would have to come stand next to you," Manhire replied.

Further questions of the search effort and the terrain around the grave site were also asked by the accused.

Justice Preston interjected multiple times during cross-examination because questions were either not of relevance, or were beyond the scope of the witness.

Sergeant Geoffrey Bray also provided a brief testimony via audiovisual link before Wednesday's proceedings were brought to a close.

The judge reminded juors at the close that despite the accused representing himself, the onus was still on the Crown to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

"The position hasn't changed," she said.

The trial, which is in its third week at the High Court in Christchurch, has been punctuated by a number of adjournments. It was initially set down for six weeks.