'Pumpkin' case man charged in NZ

Mr Xue was deported from the US after his detention last month

A New Zealand court has charged a man with murdering his wife, in a case that drew global notice after their daughter "Pumpkin" was abandoned in Australia.

Nai Yin Xue, 53, appeared in court in Auckland after his deportation from the US, where he was detained last month.

He is accused of killing his wife Anan Liu, whose body was found in the family's car in Auckland last year.

Four days before the discovery Mr Xue flew to Australia, where he left his young daughter, and then on the US.

He was detained in the US city of Atlanta in late February.

Abandoned daughter

Four US immigration officials accompanied Mr Xue back to New Zealand to hand him over to police.

He then made a brief appearance in court, where he was formally charged with the murder of his wife and remanded in custody.

Qian Xun Xue hit the headlines after being abandoned in Australia

Police welcomed Mr Xue's deportation from the US.

"We have now taken custody of Mr Xue, and obviously are pleased to be able to progress our investigation into the prosecution phase," said Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Scott, who is leading the investigation.

The case came to light when toddler Qian Xun Xue was found alone at a Melbourne railway station in September last year.

Officials nicknamed the little girl "Pumpkin" after the brand of clothing she was wearing.

After she was identified, police began searching for her parents and days later found the body of her mother in a car outside the family home.

This prompted a hunt for Mr Xue, who was captured on camera leaving his daughter in Melbourne and who was known to have then flown to the US.

Last month, he was recognised by members of the Chinese community in the US city of Atlanta, who restrained him and turned him over to police.

His daughter is now living with her grandmother in China.