A 34-YEAR-OLD driver admitted procuring three of his wife's teenage sisters to have sex with him under false pretences, the District Court heard yesterday. The defendant pleaded guilty before Judge Burrell to three counts of procuring a woman by false pretences. The court heard the victims were aged from 13 to 18 at the time of the offences. The man's wife, 28, was acquitted after the Crown offered no evidence against her on five counts of aiding and abetting her husband. She is the eldest sister in her family. Senior Assistant Crown Prosecutor Mr John Reading said the defendant and his wife were married in November 1987. Early in their relationship, the defendant told her he was learning about a system of belief or philosophy called Mau Shan, which he said entailed inducing ghosts, gods or devils to possess the bodies of certain people. He claimed he had the ability to exorcise these spirits and later convinced his wife and members of her family to also learn about Mau Shan. On various occasions, he purported to exorcise spirits said to have invaded members of the family and caused them illness or other misfortune. The court heard the first offence happened in October 1991 when the first victim was aged 18 and unemployed. In mid-October, the defendant and his wife suggested she consult a nun at Ma Tin Shan to help her find a good job. The girl visited the nun, who told her to dedicate herself to the Goddess of Mercy. Her sister later suggested the teenager speak to her husband. On October 23, 1991, the victim visited the couple's home in the New Territories to further discuss her predicament after the pair had consulted an almanac to ensure it was an auspicious day for the dedication. On the instructions of the husband, the eldest sister told the teenager she should dedicate herself to another goddess called the ''Dragon Mother'' and that none of the prescribed methods would solve her problem unless the teenager lost her virginity. The teenager said she would solve her problem herself. Her sister warned her that anybody who made love with her would die, the court heard. She said that her husband, because of his expertise in Mau Shan, would assist, even though this meant he would forfeit two years of his life. The girl agreed and was taken into a bedroom by her sister, who instructed her to remove her trousers and put on a skirt. The defendant, who was naked, entered the room, undressed the teenager and had sex with her while the sister held the teenager's hand, apparently to comfort her. He later instructed her not to tell anyone as it would cause tragedy to those she told. The court heard the second victim was lured into having sex with the defendant on May 23 last year, three days after the defendant had purportedly performed magic upon her to treat an illness. The girl, who was 14 at the time, was told by her eldest sister that evil spirits had cast a spell on her and she would die if the spirits were not driven out. She went on to explain that the only way to drive them out was to yield her virginity and suggested the teenager have sex with her husband. The girl consented. When the sister asked the girl if she needed some medicine to render her unconscious, she said yes. The defendant then poured some chloroform on to a towel and handed it to the girl, who inhaled and fainted. He later had sex with her. The third victim was the wife's youngest sister, a student who had just turned 13. This time, the girl reluctantly agreed to yield her virginity in a bid to free herself from a supposed spell cast by a magician. The offences came to light when a relative of the victims noticed the two younger girls were uncharacteristically quiet and questioned them. On arrest, the defendant said he was responsible for his wife's superstitions and it was all a ploy on his part to enable him to have sex with her sisters. He said his wife had only acted on his instructions because he had deceived her into believing in his genuineness and expertise in the practice of Mau Shan. Judge Burrell called for background and psychiatric reports on the defendant and remanded him in custody until sentencing on April 30.
