A PSYCHIATRIC patient was battered to death with a brick by another inmate on the day he was due to be discharged from a mental hospital, a court heard yesterday.
Siu Yun-ping, 52, had been voluntarily treated for schizophrenia and was asleep on a garden bench at Castle Peak Hospital when he was attacked.
His killer, Lau Ping-fun, 48, has suffered from schizophrenia for many years.
The court heard Lau, who smiled constantly when questioned about the incident, has been plagued by the noise of buzzing insects in his ears since childhood.
He also hears voices criticising him and believes he is being pursued by strangers.
Lau pleaded guilty to manslaughter. His not guilty plea to murder was accepted on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
