An affidavit by Mei Fan presented to the High Court in Wellington has described continuous threatening and frightening behaviour by her accused killer, Michael Preston.
Mei Fan Photo: NZ POLICE
Mr Preston, 60, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his estranged wife nearly two years ago in the capital city suburb of Miramar.
Criminal and Family Court manager Roslyn Fraser today read from Ms Fan's affidavit, which was given when she first requested a protection order from Mr Preston in 2012.
She described daily abusive text messages, and threatening and frightening phone calls.
In the affidavit, Ms Fan said sometimes he would arrive at her work and say loudly in front of customers that she was having sex with other men; he would also tell her he saw her leaving work at specific times.
Mr Preston would also say he was at Immigration New Zealand and that she would be deported.
"He would threaten me with texts saying that I would be deported and not be able to see the children," her affidavit said.
"I feel like he is stalking me, sending me texts telling me what I've been doing, he wants to monitor everything I do and all my communications."
Ms Fan's affidavit also revealed details of one of several violent clashes with Mr Preston.
"In 2006, in China, he grabbed me by the ankles and dragged me out to the balcony and lifted me over the edge of it - five floors up. I was yelling and terrified and he yelled back, you want me out, then pulled me in and said he was only trying to scare me."
Mr Preston responded at the time with his own affidavit, denying all of the claims.
He said he could no longer live with a woman who had broken his trust by carrying on a two-year affair.
Mr Preston said the couple's children did not cry during visits to his wife's workplace, and he did not make threatening texts - rather, that all of the texts were about forgiveness and trying to work things out.
"I was never physically violent towards Mei during our relationship. I never grabbed her by the ankles, dragged her outside and lifted her over the balcony," he said.
"The balcony of our apartment was situated directly above the carpark and had a security guard stationed there 24-7 and, if this allegation were true, surely someone would have witnessed this bizarre behaviour.
"I dispute any unpredictable behaviour by myself."
