An ownership dispute over a $2 million Auckland house ultimately led to two men being stabbed to death, a court has been told.
Cheng-Qi "Chris" Wang, 52, is accused of murdering Zhuo "Michael" Wu, 44, and Yishan "Tom" Zhong, 53, at the multi-million dollar Mt Albert home on January 14 last year.
Crown prosecutor Kevin Glubb told the High Court in Auckland that the two men were killed when they tried to serve a trespass notice on Wang.
Zhong was found dead on the driveway, while Wu died soon after he was found with 23 stab wounds.
The ownership of the property was in dispute and Wang's estranged wife was trying to get him to leave the property.
Mr Glubb told the court when the two men went to visit Wang, who knew both of them, he pulled a hunting knife from his bedside table and used "wanton, senseless and unnecessary violence" on them, Auckland Now reported.
"It was a deliberate and excessive response to whatever had passed between them," Mr Glubb said.
Wang's lawyer Thomas Sutcliffe said he would argue his client was acting in self defence.
He said Wu's injuries came during a struggle for the hunting knife with Wang, and Wu was responsible for Zhong's fatal wounds and not Wang.
The trial is expected to last a month.
NZN