Xue pleads not guilty in NZ court

Updated September 4, 2008 15:30:51

Michael Xue is accused of murdering his wife. [File WXIATV]

The father of the three-year-old girl abandoned at an Australian railway station a year ago has pleaded not guilty to killing his wife.

Michael Xue has been ordered to stand trial for the murder of Anan Liu, whose body was found in Auckland in the boot of the family's car.

Throughout the two-day hearing, a Chinese interpreter has translated court proceedings to Mr Xue.

But when he was asked this afternoon how he would like to plead to the murder of his wife, he answered in English, "I am not guilty, I am innocent".

Later he turned around and smiled to the public gallery.

Earlier, Mr Xue cried as a pathologist described Anan Liu's injuries.

The doctor said a tie was knotted around her throat.

A woman who worked in the same building as Mr Xue gave evidence that he told her he bought an axe because he was angry his wife had left him.

She also said he was upset that his wife did not want to have another baby.