Jian Zhong Li charged with interfering with corpse after cutting ear off dead brother

A corpse, a conspiracy theory and a glass jar have combined to make for an extraordinary case aired in a Sydney court.

Jian Zhong Li pictured outside his Marrickville home last week. He admitted in court to accessing his dead brother's coffin and slicing off part of his ear in an elaborate attempt to prove his nephew was illegitimate and should not inherit the family money.

A Sydney man broke into his dead brother’s coffin and sliced off part of his ear in an elaborate attempt to prove his nephew was illegitimate and should not inherit family money, a court has heard.

Extraordinary details of Jian Zhong Li’s actions after the untimely death of his brother in early 2022 were revealed in the NSW District Court on Wednesday during an unsuccessful appeal against the $1500 fine he copped for improperly interfering with a corpse.

When The Daily Telegraph visited Li at his Marrickville home on Friday, he initially expressed a desire to speak publicly about his case, however was quickly ushered back inside the premises by his son, who closed the door behind them.

According to documents tendered to the court in Li’s case, the 69-year-old had long suspected his nephew, Cheng Zhang Li, was not the biological son of his brother, Jian Ming Li, who died in February 2022 without a valid will.

The court heard Li hatched a plan with a separate relative to obtain a DNA sample from his deceased brother ahead of his March 15 funeral, in a bid to prove the theory.

Li initially agreed to speak to The Daily Telegraph about his court case, but was stopped from doing so a short time later by his son, who ushered him back into the house.

Police said the pair met with Spiro Haralambous, the managing director of Euro Funeral Services in Roselands, two or three days before the funeral, telling him they wanted to get a DNA sample from the deceased Mr Li as they did not believe Cheng Li was his biological son.

In outlining a set of agreed police facts tendered to the court, Judge Paul Conlon said Mr Haralambous advised both men they would need to get permission from the next of kin – namely, Cheng Li – to obtain a DNA sample.

Judge Conlon said Mr Haralambous later told police the pair appeared to accept the advice and left the office.

Mr Haralambous is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Court documents said on the morning of the funeral, Li and his accomplice crept inside the South Chapel at Rookwood Cemetery ahead of the service and used a set of keys to unlock the lid to Mr Li’s coffin.

They then unzipped the body bag containing his corpse and used a set of metal cutting pliers to “cut a large piece of ear off the deceased’s body”, before shutting the lid and returning to the service area.

Rookwood Cemetery chapel, where the man allegedly managed to get the DNA sample from his dead bother's ear (main picture), after he was denied access to the body at Euro Funeral Services (inset). Pictures: Supplied

Police said the funeral service proceeded as planned and Mr Li’s body was cremated the next day.

Meanwhile, Li launched legal action against his nephew in the NSW Supreme Court, challenging the latter’s right to inherit his brother’s estate.

Judge Conlon said Li’s actions remained a secret for more than a year and only came to light when he and the relative returned to Euro Funeral Services a year later, asking Mr Haralambous to sign a statement about the conversation they’d had prior to the funeral.

When Mr Haralambous questioned the pair, Li confessed to his crime, saying “I cut off a piece of his ear and kept it in my fridge”.

“You did what?” Mr Haralambous asked, to which Li replied “what else could I do?”

The court heard Li then showed him three colour photographs on his phone depicting what appeared to be a human ear, together with a metal pair of cutting pliers, and a human ear cut into pieces.

Later that evening, Mr Haralambous messaged Li, asking him how he came about obtaining the ear.

“Wow, you’re brave,” Mr Haralambous replied after Li apprised him of their actions a year earlier.

Li attempted to appeal the $1500 fine he was handed by the local court after pleading guilty to interfering with a corpse, however Judge Paul Conlon threw the case out of court.

“Yes, thankfully God gave us the courage to do it,” Li responded.

The court heard police were subsequently contacted and attended Li’s Marrickville home, where they discovered what remained of the ear secured inside a glass jar in Li’s freezer.

Li was subsequently charged, and eventually pleaded guilty in Burwood Local Court last year, providing a letter of apology in which he claimed he had been trying to protect his family.

“I am sorry to the court for doing this, I didn’t mean to break the law, I did not think properly at the time, I am sorry to the community,” he wrote.

Li was convicted and fined $1500, however appealed the decision, claiming the sentence was too severe.

In court on Wednesday, Judge Conlon refused to accept Li’s claims that he did not think what he was doing was wrong and emphatically dismissed the appeal.

“There has been nothing placed before the court which would indicate that this penalty of $1,500 was in any way too severe,” he said.

“The appeal is totally lacking in merit … the appeal is dismissed [and] the conviction and the fine confirmed.”

Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Email [e-mail]