The Court of Appeal yesterday criticised an elderly man for repeatedly molesting a 13-year-old girl, but quashed two of his five convictions.
Kwok Kau-kan, 77, contested all convictions which his lawyers claimed should be struck out as the allegations lacked precision.
Chief Judge Patrick Chan Siu-oi, Mr Justice Michael Wong Kin-chow and Mr Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen agreed - but only on two of the charges.
They quashed convictions relating to indecent assaults that allegedly took place on two unknown days between November 1997 and January 1998.
'There was a breach of the common law principle prohibiting the prosecution from adducing evidence of multiple acts in relation to a charge of a single offence,' Mr Justice Chan said.
But the judges said Kwok, who has three previous convictions for indecent assault, deserved a deterrent sentence.
