Maid assault case: defendant 'too weak' to splash helper with hot water

A former civil servant was not capable of splashing hot water on her Bangladeshi maid in the way the helper described because of her poor physical condition, medical experts told the District Court yesterday.

Au Wai-chun denies causing grievous bodily harm to Begum Raksona by pouring scalding hot water down the maid's T-shirt. Raksona suffered first-to-second degree burns to her chest in the incident at Au's flat in Bauhinia Garden, Tseung Kwan O, on September 30, the court has heard.

Medical professionals who had treated Au said she suffered from multiple physical limitations. Moving her wrists and elbows in the way required to tip the cup of water over would be impossible, they said - even when she was not holding a cup.

"The action would require her to make an extension to her wrists. It also requires her elbows to [rotate her palms upwards]," physiotherapist Wong Yin-hing told the court. She could only turn her wrist 25 degrees and rotate her arm 40 degrees, he said.

Dr Poon Tak-lun, a specialist in orthopaedics, said after seeing the cup involved that the defendant lacked the strength to spill water from it.

"The cup is rather tall," Poon told the court as he held up and checked the item in question. It appeared similar to an insulated travel mug.