Three people were hospitalised, and one needed emergency surgery to his skull. The attacks only ended when his sixth victim managed to overpower him – despite being hit so hard his head hit the bowl of food he was eating. He managed to hold onto the axe and Meng until police arrived.
His victims and restaurant staff told RNZ how they had been left traumatised by the late-night rampage.
A psychiatric report in court said Meng had a lengthy history of mental illness, and had been previously diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia in China.
His detention as a ‘special patient’ under mental health laws at the Mason Clinic initially prevented him from being deported.
In the “no surprises” notes to ministers, released to RNZ, officials set out the steps needed to have him deported.
They show a Special Patient Review Panel decided to downgrade Meng’s “special patient” status in September 2024, paving the way for his deportation.
In February last year, government agencies met to discuss the case, officials noting that “because of the number of unresolved issues, the individual’s deportation will not be imminent”.
They included a health minister needing to sign off on Meng’s new patient status, MFAT confirming that the treatment of people with mental illness in China met human rights standards and the logistics of holding him in custody after he left the clinic while awaiting deportation.
But after the agency meeting it took less than six weeks to deport him, and officials say he was met off the plane in China by health officials in March last year.
“Immigration Compliance worked on this complex case for 12 months with the Ministry of Health and other agencies,” said officials in the final ministerial notes. “As arranged, the Chinese government health officials met the client on his arrival in Shanghai.”
Under the judge’s original ruling, Meng could have been detained for seven years in a secure psychiatric facility, half the length of the maximum sentence for the most serious charge he faced of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
His lawyer Michael Kan said the young man should not be subject to a special patient order, so that he could return to China, live with his parents and receive treatment.
But the judge agreed with prosecutors that Meng posed a significant and ongoing risk to others.
‘Degree of trust’ in visa application
Meng, a carpenter assistant, reportedly said the cost of medication prompted him to stop taking anti-psychotics before moving to New Zealand.
He arrived in Auckland in March 2023 on an accredited employer visa, but lost his job only weeks before the June attack because his employer did not have enough work available.
He had been suffering from delusional beliefs about being attacked himself.
His victims and staff at the affected restaurants questioned how Meng came to be granted a three-year work visa, given his health condition.
RNZ asked Immigration New Zealand (INZ) what medical tests visa applicants underwent, and whether INZ assessors would have seen medical documents from Meng’s own doctors.
In a statement, INZ acting deputy chief operating officer Peter Elms said it empathised with Meng’s victims.
“The case of Fanrong Meng has been deeply traumatic for everyone involved,” he said. “As Mr Meng applied for a temporary work visa that was valid for more than 12 months, he was required to undergo an immigration medical examination and provide a chest X-ray as part of his visa application. Applicants in these circumstances cannot simply self-certify that they are healthy.”
Medical examinations are completed by INZ-approved “panel” physicians based in New Zealand and overseas.
“The immigration medical examination includes questions about an applicant’s medical history, with a physical examination and blood and urine tests,” he said.
“Mr Meng underwent the required immigration medical examination in November 2022. Based on the information available through that process, INZ’s Health Assessment Team assessed him as having an acceptable standard of health. The medical assessment did not identify any pre-existing psychiatric condition.”
Elms said INZ medical assessors do not see applicants in person, instead reviewing information they receive. “This includes the assessment completed by panel physicians, as well as any specialist reports or test results provided with an application. INZ did not receive any medical documentation from Mr Meng’s doctors in China.”
Applicants were warned that if they provide false or misleading health information they can face a visa decline or deportation.
“There is a degree of trust involved in the immigration system, and while not every piece of information supplied by every applicant can be independently verified, all applicants are required to declare that the information they provide is true, complete and correct.
“It is also important to note that psychiatric conditions can be difficult to identify through a general immigration medical examination. Where an applicant does not disclose a pre-existing psychiatric condition, a panel physician may have no basis to identify that condition through the standard assessment process.”
INZ said requiring specialist psychiatric assessments for all visa applicants would add significant cost and administrative burden, as serious undisclosed psychiatric conditions would only occur in a “very small proportion” of applications.
November 2022 – Meng had medical examination after making a work visa application.30 March 2023 – Arrived in New Zealand, lost his AEWV job after about two months19 June 2023 – Attacked guests at three Albany restaurants, remanded at Mt Eden prisonNovember 2023 – Acquitted on all charges due to insanityApril 2024 – Detention as a special patient in a secure psychiatric facilitySeptember 2024 – Special patient’ status changed by health panel11 February 2025 – Government agencies meet to discuss deportation25 March 2025 – Meng deported to China