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SCMP Reporter

A CLEANER yesterday found guilty of the rape and murder of a teenage dance hostess will be the first convicted murderer in Hongkong to escape the mandatory death penalty.

  Lo King-yiu, 23, was the first person to receive a sentence of life imprisonment since the repeal of the death sentence in Hongkong last month.

  However, for the past 27 years, the death penalty has always been commuted to life imprisonment.

  Lo had denied murdering and raping the 19-year-old woman in her room in Mongkok last May but the High Court jury yesterday returned a verdict of guilty on both counts.

  Mr Justice Bewley said there was only one sentence he was permitted to pass for the murder.

 For rape he gave a concurrent sentence of four years in prison.

 Senior Crown Counsel Mr John Halley told the jury earlier that Lo had admitted in cautioned statements to having sex with the victim.

 Lo, who was represented by Mr Michael Poll, had wanted to plead guilty to manslaughter, claiming he was provoked or suffered from diminished responsibility.

 Evidence was heard that on May 1, 1992, Lo and his boss met a woman and the victim in a Mongkok restaurant. The victim left and the others went to a karaoke bar.

 They were joined by two friends and the victim whom they took home because she was drunk.

 Lo told the police he left the others outside the flat and crept back to have sex with the victim. Her door was locked but she opened it when he said he wanted to use the toilet.

 He embraced and kissed her. When he tried to fondle her she pushed him away. He pushed her on to the bed, tied the belt from her kimono around her neck and raped her, the jury was told.

 Lo then slashed her neck with a chopper.

 The woman died from cuts to the neck and was found on May 3 by a former boyfriend.

  Lo claimed that twice during the evening the girl, who was drunk, leant against him and whispered ''come and see me later''.

 Lo said he went to her flat where they had sexual intercourse. When he returned from the toilet she asked to borrow $10,000.

   He said no and she told him he would have to pay for sex.

 He offered her $1,000, but she told him the price was $3,000, the court heard.

 Lo told her she was not worth $3,000, offered her $1,000 again and attempted to leave.

 But the victim grabbed his wallet and a struggle followed. Lo alleged his victim ran into the kitchen and fetched a knife.

 He got her on to the bed and got the knife off her. He put the belt of her kimono around her neck to subdue her, he said.

       She kicked him and he became angry and cut her throat, he said, though he had not meant to kill her.



Life sentence for murder of bar girl