A man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the murder of Ricky Wang in 2017.
Wang, also known as Bao Chang Wang, was never reported missing in New Zealand. His family believed he had travelled overseas.
His remains were found in a shallow grave covered in concrete near the Desert Rd in 2020.
Zhicheng Gu, 31, was found guilty of murder by a jury for his role in the death.
Justice Simon Moore today sentenced Gu to life imprisonment with a minimum of 13 years, eight months before he can apply for parole.
'A plan was hatched'
A near-full public gallery at Auckland High Court heard details of the killing today.
Gu was involved in a methamphetamine syndicate, Justice Moore said. Wang was also involved in the syndicate.
Gu's role was to make methamphetamine from imported ingredients, he said.
Jianqi Zhao, who Justice Moore described as "the boss", heard Wang planned to kidnap or rob him.
"A plan was hatched to confront, and if necessary, kill Mr Wang," Justice Moore said.
On August 19, 2017, Wang was lured to a clandestine methamphetamine lab in Massey under "some pretext relating to the business".
When he arrived, he was confronted by men holding guns and tied to a chair in the lounge.
"There was some evidence at trial that Mr Wang initially thought it was a joke," Justice Moore said today.
"But, [he] soon recognised these men meant business."
Gu and fellow henchman Gaoxiang Yu left the room at one point, and discussed the "plan to kill Mr Wang if it came to that".
"Between you, you agreed on a hand signal that would be a prompt or a cue to put the plan into effect," Justice Moore said.
As part of the plan, Yu would put a towel over Wang's mouth to muffle his cries.
Wang was given methamphetamine and then Gu gave Yu the signal, Justice Moore said.
"He walked behind Mr Wang and covered his mouth. At that point, you began to stab Wang," Justice Moore said.
The next day, the search began for suitable place to bury Wang.
"In the meantime, his body was covered in ice and placed in the bathtub," Justice Moore said.
Later, a chest freezer was bought to put Wang's body in, as it was beginning to decompose.
Wang was eventually buried in a shallow grave covered with concrete near the Desert Rd in the central North Island.
It wasn't until another associate of the syndicate was arrested on drug charges that the killing came to light.
'Heart-wrenching'
Zhao and Yu both pleaded guilty, while Gu defended the charge. He was found guilty at trial.
Wang's father suffered a heart attack when he heard the news of his son's death, Justice Moore said, noting the "devastating and enduring affect" of Gu's actions on those close to Wang.
Justice Moore also referenced "heart-wrenching" letters from members of Gu's family, describing Gu as the family's "backbone".
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