Former Canto-pop singer Roy Chow bound over for assault on wife
Roy Chow must pay HK$3,000 if he reoffends, magistrate orders with stern warning
Scandal-plagued former Canto-pop singer Roy Chow Wing-hang was bound over yesterday for assaulting his wife, though the relatively light punishment came with a strongly worded warning from the magistrate.
Chow, 30, must refrain from violence against others for 18 months or face a HK$3,000 fine after he shoved his wife, Chiu Tsz-ki, to the ground on August 24, injuring her jaw.
Magistrate Winnie Lau Yee-wan, in Tuen Mun Court, warned Chow that domestic violence was a serious offence.
If he reoffended, he "would not be treated so leniently", Lau told Chow in a courtroom packed with entertainment journalists who have been widely reporting the case over the past weeks.
"This kind of domestic violence case is something the court takes very seriously," Lau added, advising Chow that the best way to deal with a domestic problem was to stay calm.
Before his hearing began, Chow, in a black shirt, appeared calm and was even seen trying to console an apparent stranger sitting next to him, who was believed to be another defendant.
The court yesterday heard that on August 24, Chow pushed Chiu Tsz-ki, better known as Chiu Chung-yu, in the lobby of a housing estate in Tin Shui Wai, knocking her down.
Chiu went to Tuen Mun Hospital following the attack, where she was found to have an injury to her jaw that required two stitches. Bruises were also found on her face and knee.
Chiu reported the case to police five days later.
Over the past weeks, Chow's affair with an actress from the Hong Kong Television Network has been widely reported in local media. Many have speculated that the couple were arguing about that scandal when the assault happened.
The artist, who said only "thank you" to a crowd of reporters waiting outside court, earlier gave an emotional interview to an entertainment programme on Now TV. He told the station he had written a letter to Chiu to ask for her forgiveness.
Chow, the nephew of singer-songwriter Chow Kai-seng, began his singing career in 2001 but bowed out of the industry three years later after a drug scandal.
In 2004, he was sentenced to 18 months' probation for a drug-related offence. He's since earned a living as an actor and businessman. Chow and Chiu married in 2010 and have two children together.