Detective Storey testified about the strong smell of decay emanating from the toolbox, which also contained a human foot.

Yang Zhao is currently on trial for the murder of Qiong Yan, whose body was discovered in a toolbox on his balcony in Brisbane after being missing for approximately ten months.

At the time of the murder, Zhao was on a student visa that had expired in April 2020.

Crown prosecutor Chris Cook outlined Zhao's alleged motive, suggesting he needed money and used Yan's phone to send around 2,000 text messages to her contacts.

A friend of Yan filed a missing persons report after receiving strange messages from her phone, indicating Zhao's attempts to cover up the crime.

Yan was reported missing on April 12, 2021, and her remains were found two months later, identified by her family.

Following Yan's disappearance, Zhao allegedly assumed her identity, stealing $200,000 from her bank account and persuading her mother to transfer over $400,000 to him.

The trial, overseen by Justice Martin Burns, continues with the prosecution detailing Zhao's deceit towards Yan's family and the police during the investigation.

During police questioning, Zhao allegedly expressed no remorse, stating, 'There is no story. I don’t regret it.'

Zhao was arrested after police discovered Yan's body and gathered evidence related to her disappearance.

Despite the evidence presented at the Supreme Court trial in Brisbane, Zhao has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Qiong Yan.

Zhao is accused of transferring ownership of Yan's $300,000 Porsche to himself and selling it shortly after her murder.