Yang Zhao, a 30-year-old international student, is poised to testify in his trial for the alleged murder of 29-year-old Qiong Yan, who was found dead in a concealed toolbox on their Brisbane apartment balcony nearly a year after her supposed killing in September 2020. Zhao has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but has admitted to tampering with Yan’s body.
The jury has previously been briefed on Zhao’s case through recorded phone conversations and police interviews conducted in July 2021. The prosecution, led by Crown prosecutor Chris Cook, argues that Zhao is guilty of Yan’s murder, claiming he inflicted fatal injuries either by striking her with a gas canister or by strangulation. They allege that following her death, he sent over 2,000 text messages posing as Yan to steal significant funds from her mother.
In a counter-defence, Zhao’s lawyer, Andrew Hoare, urged the jury to consider the reliability of Zhao’s recollections during police questioning. Medical examinations conducted by forensic pathologist Beng Ong revealed that the state of Yan’s remains inhibited a clear determination of the cause of death. While a CT scan showed potential indicators of strangulation or decomposition-related damage, the absence of expected injuries—such as fractured bones around the voice box—clouded the findings. During cross-examination, Ong acknowledged a possible defect on Yan’s forehead that could result from blunt force trauma or post-mortem changes.
As the case progresses, Zhao’s testimony is anticipated to play a crucial role in shaping the jury’s understanding of the events leading up to Yan’s death and the subsequent actions taken to conceal her demise.