By Elizabeth Puranam
The Chinese man who admitted murdering Auckland taxi driver Hiren Mohini has been sentenced at a court in Shanghai to 15 years in jail for intentional injury.
Zhen Xiao, 24, confessed to the killing after fleeing New Zealand following the stabbing in January last year.
Mr Mohini's close friend Bipin Tavadia has been living with his widow and two children, helping them through their grief.
Mr Tavadia says they have waited 19 months for this day.
“We were expecting 18 but 15 years is better because he will be in a Chinese jail, that is much worse than a New Zealand jail. So we are very much happy with that,” he says.
Hotel worker Zhen said he killed Mr Mohini in his cab after a row about whether there were too many Asians working in New Zealand.
The argument escalated when he refused to pay the full fare, but Zhen said he did not mean to stab Mr Mohini in the heart.
Zhen wrote a letter to Mr Mohini’s family asking for their forgiveness and offered to help them out financially.
Detective senior sergeant Hywel Jones says the judge took Zhen's remorse into consideration and that he is happy with the sentence.
“I think the verdict was fair,” he says.
Zhen stood trial in Shanghai because he could not be extradited to New Zealand.
New Zealand police agreed to cooperate when prosecutors agreed not to impose a death sentence.
Mr Mohini's wife did not want to appear on camera tonight, but his cousin 3 News the family is satisfied with the sentence and feels great relief and closure.
3 News