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SCMP Reporter

The jealous wife of a doctor was jailed for six months yesterday after wounding a young medical student her husband had had an affair with.

Au Yeung Chu, 33, a former nurse, discovered the affair when she spotted a Valentine's Day e-mail her husband, Dr Anthony Cheng Wing-kay, sent to 22-year-old Connie Lam Hon-kei. He had been teaching Ms Lam at Chinese University.

Au Yeung, who had been married to Dr Cheng, 29, for less than a year, went to confront the girl.

However, she lost her cool when she saw her love rival's 'superior smile' and slapped her face, catching her with her diamond ring, the District Court was told.

Au Yeung pleaded guilty to one count of wounding before Judge Peter Line, who jailed her for six months.

Prosecutor John Mullick said that on February 26 last year the accused found an e-mail sent by her husband to Ms Lam on Valentine's Day.

She asked her husband to drive her to the Prince of Wales Hospital, where she tracked down Ms Lam.

After a long conversation, Au Yeung suddenly slapped Ms Lam's face.

Ms Lam felt a hard object cut into her and noticed that her face was bleeding.

During the struggle between the two women which followed, Ms Lam's left hand was also injured and needed to be stitched, the court heard.

Au Yeung surrendered to police the same night.

Barrister Christopher Grounds, defending Au Yeung, said his client had suspected her husband had been having an affair since Christmas 2000, when she had noticed a message left on his pager by a woman named Connie. Au Yeung and the doctor had married in May that year.

Ms Lam met Dr Cheng in December 2000 when she started a four-week assignment at the Prince of Wales Hospital.

The doctor was a mentor to the group she was in.

On the morning of February 26, Au Yeung checked the computer and read an e-mail sent by her husband to Ms Lam on February 14.

She felt 'terrible', said Mr Grounds.

Although Dr Cheng told his wife that the affair was over, she insisted on seeing the student face-to-face to find out what had really been going on, said the barrister.

During the encounter, Au Yeung was provoked by Ms Lam's 'superior smile'.

Ms Lam also angered her by saying that she would not reveal further details about the 'private matter' between her and Dr Cheng.

The court heard Ms Lam, who attended yesterday's hearing, had since forgiven Au Yeung for the attack.

Judge Line, who examined the victim's face, said slight marks were still visible from the wound.

The judge said although he fully appreciated the power of jealousy, he had to discharge his public duty by imposing a meaningful sentence.

He rejected a request by Mr Grounds for a community service order.

'This is a civilised society which expects people to exercise self-control,' he said.



Doctor's wife jailed for attack on mistress