Man kills his ex-wife over property dispute, entombs her in wall

An Australian man strangled his ex-wife, cut her into seven pieces with a saw, and then entombed her in a cavity he created in his hallway cupboard, because he was disgruntled over their property settlement, a Brisbane court has been told

Former noodle restaurant owner Jiagen Pan killed his wife, Linjin Cui, during an argument about money, at their former matrimonial home at Springfield Lakes, west of Brisbane, two years ago, The Herald Sun reports.

Detectives investigating the finding of blood at the Springfield Lakes went to Pan''s townhouse at Woodridge, and found him in the process entombing Cui''s remains.

Pan, 45, pleaded not guilty to murdering Cui, 32, but guilty to her manslaughter on August 12, 2009. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct with a corpse.

Prosecutor Caroline Marco explained that Pan went to Cui''s home, where he struck her about the head and face and strangled her.

Marco said Pan then used circular saws and handsaws to dismember the body before buying cement to use in entombing Cui''s remains, which had been cut into seven pieces and placed in two garage bags.

Marco told the court that Pan and Cui had divorced five months before her death, at the end of a seven-year marriage.

Pan had expressed bitterness at not getting what he considered was fair share in the divorce settlement and had accused Cui of being greedy.