THE driver of a speedboat with two illegal immigrants on board rammed his 10-metre vessel into a small police rubber craft in a bid to escape, killing one officer and severely injuring another, the High Court heard yesterday.
The court was told that Sergeant Put Yam-chiu was thrown overboard and died when a fractured rib penetrated his lung. Sergeant Cheung Wai-lun sustained severe brain damage and would not be able to give evidence in court.
Appearing before Mr Justice Stock is Chan Heung-kui, also known as Lau Pan, 26, who denied the manslaughter of Sergeant Put and wounding Sergeant Cheung with intent to resist arrest.
But he had pleaded guilty to a charge of abandoning a vessel within Hongkong waters without lawful excuse.
In his opening address, senior Crown Counsel Mr John McMaster told the jury that officers on a police launch patrolling the vicinity of Lamma Island spotted a suspicious object on the radar at about 9 pm on September 23, 1991.
Two rubber craft were sent to investigate. One of them, PV55, was manned by Sergeant Put and Sergeant Cheung and the second one, PV4, was operated by Sergeant Li Kam-fai and Constable Law Hip-chung.
About 90 metres from the object, Mr McMaster said, they let off flares to illuminate the area and saw a 10-metre speedboat with four large outboard motors.