Police officers routinely botch important evidence by leaving lens caps on cameras while taking pictures at crime scenes, a court heard yesterday.
It happens so often that a box labelled 'forgot to take the lens cap off' is now included on police forms for officers to tick, said Identification Bureau photography expert Chiu Shine.
But defence barrister Peter Lavac said it was 'absolutely unbelievable' that Hong Kong's finest could be so dense.
He told a Court of First Instance jury: 'No human being, unless he's got the IQ of a wooden plank, could possibly be that stupid.
'Such an explanation is an insult to your intelligence.' Prosecutor Peter Cosgrove countered that forgotten lens caps were a 'recognised problem' on the force.
Six other officers were present when Constable Ho Chi-man, with four years' police experience, was said to have pointed his camera at alleged heroin trafficker Chan Chuen-ho's drugs and equipment with the lens cap on.
Mr Lavac said it was 'inconceivable that the other officers would not notice'.
