A Queensland financial planner who murdered a client in a bid to avoid having almost half a decade of theft revealed has begun serving a life sentence for the crime.
Trung The Ma was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 20 years after being found guilty of the death of Huegio Bonham on the Gold Coast in February 2014.
Ma's Brisbane Supreme Court trial heard the former child refugee smashed Mr Bonham's head with a hammer following a business meeting between the pair at Mr Bonham's home.
The murder occurred when Mr Bonham expressed his desire to take his business elsewhere due to disappointment in the returns Ma's firm, Brisbane Money Management, had been providing.
Unknown to the 63-year-old, Ma had stolen $706,000 from Mr Bonham over four years and the murder was an attempt by Ma to avoid having his crimes exposed.
The court heard Ma had felt pressure for years from the weight of his father's expectations that he succeed in life and provide for their extended family.
After killing Mr Bonham, Ma cleaned up, put the body in his car boot, bought a large plastic container and rented a storage shed to hold the remains.
However he made a crucial mistake - he dropped Mr Bonham's wallet in a car park when he bought the container.
Ma called the car park's management, asking about the wallet, claiming he was Mr Bonham and saying he would send "his good friend" Ma to pick it up.
The attempt to retrieve the wallet led police to Ma, who progressively broke down under police inquiries before eventually making a full confession.
With time served Ma will be eligible for parole from 2034.
Australian Associated Press
