Domestic violence charges against Chinese millionaire Donghua Liu have been dropped.
The police chose to not offer any evidence at the trial at the Auckland District Court this morning after both complainants recanted their previous statements. One complainant, Mr Liu's mother-in-law Lunju Wang, did not return from China for the trial.
Judge Russell Collins formally dismissed the charges of assaulting a woman, and assault with intent to injure, related to an incident at the Boulevard Hotel in Newmarket, the first stage of a proposed $70 million property development by one of Mr Liu's companies.
Court documents show his de facto wife, Juan Zhang, was the alleged victim of the more serious charge, assault with intent to injure, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail.
Mr Liu had pleaded guilty to both charges in April last year but later applied to have the pleas changed in August, after it became clear his application for a discharge without conviction would not be successful and the police would not amend the summary of facts.
