Yanfei Bao case: Defendant dismisses lawyers and will represent himself in court

TO RNZ

The man accused of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao has fired his lawyers and is representing himself in the High Court.

Chinese national Tingjun Cao, 53, sat at a table between his former lawyer and three translators on Wednesday morning.

Judge Lisa Preston told jurors that Cao planned to conduct his own defense and that she believed it was in the interests of justice for the trial to continue.

His former lawyers Colin Eason and Joshua MacLeod were appointed as standby lawyers.