Woman sent home to killer

By TONY WALL

A woman who went to the police in fear of her estranged husband returned home to her death - with police officers close behind her.

Her death, from multiple stab wounds, has sparked a Police Complaints Authority investigation after suggestions that the officers arrived in time to witness the murder in New Lynn on Saturday afternoon.

The investigation will ask why the officers allowed the woman to go back into her house knowing her partner was there, and why they were unable to save her.

Last night, there were allegations from within the police of a cover-up after the stabbing.

The circumstances were fudged in a media release, and last night the Waitakere police were refusing to comment further.

There were conflicting reports from police sources on how much the officers saw. One source said the stabbing happened in front of them; another said they saw only part of the incident.

One officer said there would be serious questions asked about the handling of the incident. He alleged that there had been an attempt to "hush up" the fact that police were present.

The Herald has learned that the 34-year-old victim, Jian Huang, went to the New Lynn police station on Saturday after her estranged husband arrived at her Ambrico Place home and threatened to take their 5-year-old son, Maijie.

It is understood that two police cars followed her back to her new, three-level terraced home about 3.30 pm.

Mrs Huang's husband allegedly lunged at her with a knife and stabbed her several times.

An ambulance rushed her to Auckland Hospital, where she died of her injuries that night.

A 41-year-old man has been charged with murder.

Mrs Huang separated from her husband several months ago and had taken out a court protection order against him.

It is understood that Maijie's life was threatened after his mother was stabbed. The boy is now in Social Welfare care.

The second-in-command of the case, Detective Sergeant Gary Davey, put out a statement at 5 am yesterday saying police had found a woman with stab wounds after being called to the address.

The officer in charge of the case, Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Franklin, would not return the Herald's call last night. A colleague said Senior Sergeant Frankin had nothing further to add.

The duty officer at Waitakere police station, Senior Sergeant Chris Maude, said that officers had seen "part" of the incident but not the stabbing.

A police spokeswoman later phoned the Herald and said: "It's before the court. We won't be commenting at all on who was there and who saw what."

Police had a patrol car and scene guard stationed outside the victim's home yesterday, and a lone detective was doing forensic examinations inside.

Neighbours told the Herald that Mrs Huang and her husband had had several heated arguments before they separated.

They came to New Zealand from Shanghai about three years ago. One woman said the husband had been out of work but there always seemed to be plenty of money around. She said he spent a lot of money gambling.

She said Mrs Huang had no family in New Zealand, and Maijie was her whole world.

One woman said she noticed two police cars parked outside the home on Saturday afternoon, but did not think anything of it. She was stunned to hear her friend had been stabbed to death, allegedly with police present.