Farmer jailed for water attack

A farmer who threw a bucket of boiling water over his neighbours in a dispute over a drainage pipe has been jailed for 20 months.

District Court Judge Clare Beeson yesterday heard how Lee Suk-mai, 57, also chased and hit one of the victims with an iron water pipe.

Leong Leng, 52, and her son Ng Wa-keung, 25, were admitted to hospital with extensive burns.

Barrister Ken Ng Kin-man, defending, told the court Lee and his two victims had been neighbours for 20 years at Ta Kwu Ling in the New Territories.

Mr Ng said their relationship turned sour in January last year when they started to argue over a drainage pipe.

The pipe ran under Lee's house, draining waste from the victims' chicken shed.