Pair behind 'dangerous poultry bomb' in Hong Kong country park jailed for 10 months
Culprits should count their blessings no one died, judge said of blast that injured man
Two construction workers were jailed for 10 months yesterday for planting a "poultry bomb" intended to kill wild boar but that severely injured the fingers of an animal volunteer when it exploded in his hands.
Ho Kwok-fai, 53, and Chan San, 55, should "feel really lucky" no one was killed by the device they wrapped in poultry skin and placed in Lion Rock Country Park on November 29, District Court Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che said.
The pair pleaded guilty earlier to possessing the explosive, which was made of arsenic sulphide and potassium.
The victim, veterinarian assistant Liu Kwan-kiu, was blown a distance of two metres by the force of the blast and eventually lost the tip of his left thumb and part of his left middle finger.
READ MORE: Two men may face jail time after blowing up animal volunteer with ‘poultry bomb’ meant to hunt wild boars
Yiu said the permanent injuries would affect the career of Liu, who thought he was dealing with a poisonous animal trap when he picked it up. Liu would be unable to perform his job easily and would find it hard to grab things with his left hand, the judge said.
It was a dangerous and risk-taking act to plant a bomb, Yiu said, and given the seriousness of the charge, community service was therefore not suitable.