A man on trial for the murder of his partner admitted to police he was angry she had gone to Sky City Casino with his brother-in-law two nights earlier, a jury was told today.
Chul Jun Cho also told police he didn't mean to light the fire which burned his partner Misook Kim to death at the west Auckland dental surgery where she worked, Crown prosecutor Christine Gordon told the jury at the High Court in Auckland.
Ms Gordon said the Crown took a different view, saying Cho deliberately poured liquid accelerant over the surgery floor and then ignited the vapour with a cigarette lighter.
Cho is on trial for the murder of Ms Kim, attempting to murder his brother-in-law Choonsik Moon and the arson of the dental surgery. He denies all three charges.
Opening the Crown case, Ms Gordon said money was tight for Cho and Ms Kim as they had to pay school fees for her daughter as she was not a New Zealand resident.
To supplement Cho's furniture business income, Ms Kim got a job at the Toothcare dental surgery of Dr Moon, who was married to Cho's sister Yeon Jun Cho.
Ms Gordon said Ms Kim went to Sky City Casino with Dr Moon and Yeon Jun Cho on February 1, 2007. She said Dr Moon ran out of cash during the night and asked Ms Kim for money, which she loaned him.
"It seems the money had been earmarked for her daughter's school fees," Ms Gordon said.
The trio stayed at the casino for the night, and at some point Ms Kim rang Cho to say where she was. The next day, after Dr Moon departed, Cho arrived at the casino and spoke to his partner before speaking to his sister.
Ms Gordon said Ms Cho wrote her brother a cheque which could be used for school fees, before leaving the couple.
Later that day Cho visited Dr Moon to speak about taking Ms Kim to the casino, for which his brother-in-law apologised. Ms Kim slept at the home of another of her partner's sisters, saying she didn't want to go home.
The next day, Cho confronted his partner and Dr Moon at the surgery. He came and went a few times, having some heated discussions when he was there, before he was caught on security camera returning and carrying a crowbar and a container of liquid accelerant.
Upon arriving he smashed a printer and the walls with the crowbar and then poured the liquid on the floor, Ms Gordon said. Dr Moon then left the surgery after unsuccessfully trying to restrain Cho.
He came back a short time later to see Ms Kim fall to the ground, and then heard Cho say "let's we all die" in Korean before flicking a cigarette lighter, setting the room alight.
Ms Gordon said Dr Moon was driven back by the flames when trying to rescue Ms Kim through two different entrances.
Fire Service staff arrived shortly afterwards but Ms Kim had already burned to death.
When interviewed by police the next day, Cho said he was angry Dr Moon had taken Ms Kim to the casino.
He said he hadn't intended to spill the fluid or light the fire, saying he was just trying to scare them, Ms Gordon told the jury.
Ms Gordon said the Crown didn't buy Cho's argument, and said he knew very well how flammable the liquid was as he had used it in his furniture business.
The jury had been told yesterday by Justice Paul Heath that the question of what caused the fire would be a major issue in the trial.
The trial is scheduled for three weeks.
