FLAMBOYANT playboy Mr Patrick David Wong walked out of the Supreme Court yesterday after being acquitted of murdering his girlfriend in a case the judge described as ''one of the greatest human tragedies''.
His one-time lover, Kitty Yu Mo-ling, 30, was found guilty by the jury on the lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years in jail. The term runs concurrently with a five-year jail term she is already serving.
A charge of preventing the lawful and decent burial of flight stewardess Miss Brenda Wong Tze-kwan, 28, was left on the court file of the 36-year-old Mr Wong, an American citizen.
Senior Superintendent Kerry Pierce, who was in charge of the case, said investigations into other possible offences were still pending on both Mr Wong and Yu. The pair had been in custody for almost four years.
Earlier Mr Wong's new wife, Shirley, whom he married while in prison, was banned from court by Mr Justice Duffy after she threw herself to her knees pleading for a not guilty verdict on Mr Wong.
After a 11/2-day deliberation at the end of the retrial the jury returned its verdicts at 2.45 pm to a packed courtroom. When the not guilty verdict against Mr Wong was announced, he appeared shocked and pale.
Mr Justice Duffy told Mr Wong that he was discharged and only then did it appear to dawn on him that he was free.
