Fatal stabbing earns four year prison sentence

Cheng Qi Wang. Photo / APN

A businessman has been sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter after a fatal stabbing at his Auckland mansion.

Cheng Qi Wang, 54, stabbed Yishan 'Tom' Zhong, 53, and Zhua 'Michael' Wu, 44, during a struggle at Wang's $2 million Mt Albert home on January 14, 2011.

The men had confronted a pyjama-clad Wang on behalf of his estranged wife, Michelle Chen, in an effort to make him move out of the marital home.

Wang was found not guilty of murdering both men at the end of a trial in July after arguing self-defence.

In sentencing before Justice Geoffrey Venning today, the High Court at Auckland heard Wang was instead found guilty of manslaughter over the death of Zhong.

He was not charged with the lesser offence over the death of Wu, who had been carrying a knife.

Justice Venning said he accepted the jury's finding that Wang had acted in self-defence and there was "serious provocation" by Zhong.

But because Zhong was unarmed, the jury found Wang had gone too far.