Yang Zhao: Police say murder accused's tool box had 'smell of death'

A detective immediately smelled a dead body when she opened a large tool box belonging to an international student accused of a woman’s murder, a jury has heard.

Yang Zhao, 30, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Qiong Yan, 29, in September 2020 at their apartment in the inner-Brisbane suburb of Hamilton.

He has instead pleaded guilty to interfering with Ms Yan’s corpse, which was found concealed in a large tool box on their riverside unit’s balcony almost 10 months after her alleged murder.

Queensland Detective acting Sergeant Tammy Storey on Tuesday told a Supreme Court jury she was the lead investigator on the case when she entered the Brisbane apartment on July 19, 2021.

“(The black toolbox) drew my attention because I thought at the time there were little incense bags on the locks ... it later turned out to be prayer notes,” she said.

The detective and a crime scene officer opened the tool box.

“I immediately smelled the very strong smell of what I know to be a dead body,” Det Sgt Storey said.

“I looked in the box and saw a human foot.”

She immediately contacted Kurt Zambesi, then a NSW Police senior constable, who was speaking to Zhao about Ms Yan’s disappearance.

Zhao, a Chinese national on student visa, was subsequently arrested.

Ms Yan was also a Chinese national living on a bridging visa and working as a migration agency director.

Zhao initiated conversation with Mr Zambesi and Detective Sergeant Michael Bugg during a 20-minute car ride to the police station, the court was told.

Mr Zambesi said the accused killer was told he could tell his side of the story, to which he replied: “There is no story. I don’t regret it.”

Zhao allegedly admitted he had “killed someone” by accident before asking “do you think I will get the death penalty”?

“Det Sgt Bugg said we don’t have the death penalty. (Zhao) said ‘what if I want it’?” Mr Zambesi told the court.

Crown prosecutor Chris Cook previously told the jury Zhao used Ms Yan’s phone to send 2000 text messages to her friends and family.

“The crown case is simple. (Zhao) needed money,” Mr Cook said.

Ms Yan’s mother transferred $411,000 in the months after the young woman’s disappearance in response to requests that appeared to come from her daughter.

Zhao also re-registered Ms Yan’s $300,000 Porsche Panamera SUV to his name and later sold the luxury vehicle, Mr Cook said.

Mr Zambesi said Zhao queried detectives about his impersonation of Ms Yan, asking “how convincing was I? Was I good? Did you know”?

“Det Sgt Bugg replied ‘you were pretty good. We thought you were protecting her as she did not want to speak to police’,” he added.

Zhao’s alleged comments were not digitally recorded and the officer’s recollection was based on notes taken by him and Det Sgt Bugg, the court was told.

The trial continues.