TWO robbers tried to throw a woman over a railing and down a slope after slashing her throat, a District Court heard yesterday. The pair then cut her hand, with which she had grasped the railing, and fled the scene. Prosecuting counsel Mr Andrew Chung told the court that the victim, Ms Pang Kwei-hing, was a dance hostess and had become acquainted with the defendants through a customer. The defendants, Lam Chi-keung and Chan Siu-wing, thought Ms Pang was rich and decided to rob her. They asked her to go out with them for a barbecue on February 2 last year and she agreed. Ms Pang met the two men and they took a taxi to Shek Lei Pui Reservoir in Kowloon. Upon leaving the taxi, they walked to the reservoir. On the way there, Chan suddenly produced a 30-centimetre-long beef knife and grasped Ms Pang's neck, saying ''robbery''. Frightened, Ms Pang allowed the defendants to take her property. She then asked the defendants to accompany her to the main road and they agreed. While they were walking, Ms Pang asked them whether they had considered the fact that she knew them and Chan suddenly grasped her neck and Lam slashed her throat with the beef knife. The defendants then tried to throw her over a railing and down a slope. Ms Pang grasped the railing and the defendants slashed her hand with the knife. They then fled. Ms Pang walked until she found a group of people having a barbecue and the police were called. She was sent to the Caritas Medical Centre where she was found to have suffered a five-centimetre-long, deep laceration to her throat and a four-centimetre-long, deep laceration to her left wrist. The defendants were arrested two days later inside a fast-food restaurant in Shantung street, Kowloon. Lam, 21, and Chan, 24, both pleaded guilty to robbing Ms Pang of $3,300 cash and jewellery. Lam also admitted to a charge of wounding with intent while Chan admitted to a lesser charge of wounding. Judge Jackson sentenced Lam to a total of four years' jail while Chan was jailed for three years. In mitigation, Lam's defence counsel, Mr Andrew Mak, said the defendant had wounded the victim out of a momentary tension as the victim had shouted loudly. Chan's defence counsel, Mr C. S. Foo, submitted that out of the $3,300 taken from the victim, the defendant had returned $1,300 to her as it was her son's birthday.
