Ex-civil servant who poured boiling water on maid avoids jail due to medical condition
A former civil servant convicted of pouring hot water on her Bangladeshi helper was told she had undermined the city's reputation as she was given a suspended six-month jail sentence.
A former civil servant convicted of pouring hot water on her Bangladeshi helper was told she had undermined the city's reputation as she was given a suspended six-month jail sentence in the District Court yesterday.
Judge Pang Chung-ping told Au Wai-chun: "Not only did you destroy the trust foreign workers have in Hong Kong employers, but also their reputation."
He suspended the sentence for 18 months - meaning Au will escape jail unless she reoffends within that time - due to her chronic medical conditions and overwhelming support for her previously good character.
Pang added that Au, 62, who sat in a wheelchair yesterday, had already been punished by having to attend court in her condition.
Au had pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was convicted of the lesser charge of occasioning actual bodily harm earlier this month at the end of a trial that began on July 18. Sentencing had been adjourned until yesterday.
The court heard that Au splashed hot water onto Begum Raksona's chest on September 30 last year, causing first- to second-degree burns on those spots, which the court heard represented 2 per cent of her skin.
It followed an argument over a cup of hot water at Au's flat in Bauhinia Garden, Tseung Kwan O, in October last year.
Au's counsel, Judy Ma, contended that it was Raksona, now 27, who staged the incident in an attempt to claim compensation.
Pang dismissed Ma's case, but noted that the prosecution failed to prove the injuries were grievous and inflicted with intent. He therefore convicted Au of the less serious charge.
Au began to sob yesterday when she heard Ma read out to the court a letter of support from her current helper Lanie Rosareal during a plea for mitigation.
"Please don't send ma'am to prison," the letter read. If a custodial sentence were to be imposed, the helper added, then "please send me, too. I want to take care of madam in prison".
Ma read out a total of 34 letters written by Au's friends, relatives and medical professionals, all begging the court not to hand down a custodial sentence given her poor health and good character.
The court had heard that Au has been diagnosed with a number of medical conditions which cause her severe pain. The judge said yesterday that this meant imprisonment would be a harsher punishment for Au than for other offenders.
