Movie star Jackie Chan came to the defence of pop star Nicholas Tse Ting-fung during his conspiracy trial yesterday, saying in a letter of reference that he understood the pressure the defendant was under from being in the limelight.
The trial also heard testimony from Choi Lai-kwan, whose terminally ill 15-year-old daughter had her last wish to see her idol, Tse, fulfilled two weeks before she died of cancer on March 10.
In all, five reference letters were read out in Western Court, including those from Chan and actress Liza Wang Ming-chun, a former member of the Hong Kong Delegation of the National People's Congress.
While praising Tse as 'hardworking, good-natured and well-mannered', 'active in participating in charitable events', and as having a 'promising career', Chan and Wang both said they understood the pressure he had been under.
'His parents being famous artistes, Nicholas was covered in the limelight since he was born. Although he himself is also an artiste, I know at heart he detests publicity, especially that of his private life. Being constantly in the limelight myself, I can deeply understand the pressure he was put under and his feelings,' Chan wrote.
Ms Choi held back tears as she told the court how the star had chatted and played with her daughter for more than an hour in Queen Mary Hospital on February 27. 'Those were the happiest moments my daughter had spent since she had been admitted to the hospital,' she said, adding that Tse had been 'very polite, kind-hearted, friendly and not arrogant'.
Ms Choi said when Tse had learned about her daughter's wish, he immediately took a flight back from Beijing, where he was working on a film, to visit her in the hospital.
