Murder hearing told of 'ice' habit

The common-law husband of a woman allegedly tortured and murdered by three men told a court yesterday that she had kicked her drug habit after becoming pregnant.

The defence counsel for the three accused has suggested in cross-examination that Fan Man-yee, 23, died from an overdose of the drug 'ice'.

Salesman Ng Chi-yuen, 26, who fathered Fan's two-year-old son, told the Court of First Instance that he last saw her alive on March 13 last year. She was visiting him in a drug addiction treatment centre, where he was serving time for a drug offence.

Four days later Fan was taken to a flat in Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, where she met her death some time in mid-April last year, the court has heard.

Mr Ng said Fan used to take 'ice' but had stopped after learning of her pregnancy. She gave birth in March 1998.

The exact cause of Fan's death is a mystery as only her skull, one tooth and internal organs have been recovered. Her skull was stuffed inside a Hello Kitty doll, the court was told.