A mother has recently witnessed shocking evidence in court regarding her daughter’s alleged murder. In a recorded police interview, Yang Zhao, a fellow international student, confessed to killing Qiong Yan, detailing how he struck her with a gas canister and subsequently choked her. Nearly ten months later, Qiong’s remains were discovered in a toolbox on the balcony of their shared Brisbane apartment.
As the Supreme Court jury viewed the video of Zhao’s admissions, Qiong’s mother, Rongmei Yan, sat silently in the courtroom. During his confession, Zhao stated, “I killed her … she asked me to do it as fast and quick as I can.” He recounted how he had struck her head and choked her during the act, revealing that she had allegedly encouraged him to do so.
The jury observed recordings of Zhao’s arrest in July 2021 as well as his subsequent police interviews. Notably, Zhao, upon learning that the interview was being recorded, inquired if the footage would be shown to Qiong’s parents.
Rongmei Yan had journeyed from China to Brisbane for the trial, and her emotional response was palpable as she viewed video evidence related to her daughter. The videos included a text message from Zhao sent to Qiong’s mother, suggesting that their lives had become unbearable due to financial losses, and he indicated that they both sought to end their lives.
Now 30, Zhao has pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted to interfering with Qiong’s corpse. The Crown prosecutor, Chris Cook, indicated that Zhao had sent over 2,000 messages to Qiong’s family and friends following her death, fraudulently acquiring more than $400,000 from them. Evidence presented to the jury included texts indicating that Qiong had last reached out to her mother via video call on September 20, 2020, after which her mother received only misleading messages.
One poignant moment in court occurred when Rongmei received a video response to her text expressing the desire for a video call, featuring a hand holding Qiong’s cat, with a message stating, “I am fine. I have Anchun taking care of me.” This message was sent months after Qiong’s death, eliciting an emotional reaction from her mother as she grappled with the painful reality of her loss.
Zhao described feeling panic after the incident and later recorded a video to quell suspicions. The ongoing trial continues to expose the grim details surrounding Qiong’s tragic demise.
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