Forgetful old woman duped out of fortune by two liars, says judge

A 77-year-old widow conned into paying millions for beauty and physiotherapy equipment by a beautician and her husband is entitled to get back $16 million of her fortune, a judge ruled yesterday.

Mr Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen found widow Ho Yin-yuk, who testified she paid out more than $30 million, was a frank and truthful witness, while the couple, Bevan Ho Chor-man, and Lam Ka-lok, 35, a sales director with property chain Ricacorp, were liars.

The judge described the pair's conduct as deplorable.

The Court of First Instance heard that as a result of their actions between 1995 and 1998, Ho Yin-yuk now had only about $5,000 in savings.

Her purchases included $1.6 million for a facial machine, $1.5 million for a slimming machine, $480,000 for a pair of massage gloves and $600,000 for a massage bed that she said she was told could cure cancer.

The widow was also duped into signing a will naming Mr Lam as sole beneficiary of two Happy Valley flats she owned.

Ho Yin-yuk testified she gave Bevan Ho blank cheques for beauty products said to come from a 'foreign lady'. She also said she was asked to mortgage her two flats in Happy Valley for $4 million and sell another flat she owned to Mr Lam for $4 million because she owed the 'foreign lady' for beauty goods.