A woman left horribly disfigured after her ex-boyfriend threw acid in her face has said she will marry him when he is released from jail, a court heard yesterday. The special bond between victim Lam Sau-man, 25, and salesman Lai Yuk-kong, 25, was taken into account by deputy High Court judge Judianna Barnes Wai-ling as she handed down a five-year, four-month sentence on Lai in the Court of First Instance. Deputy Judge Barnes said a longer sentence would cause further harm to Ms Lam, who repeatedly expressed her desire to be reunited with Lai. The court heard the former nursing attendant suffered second- and third-degree burns over 30 per cent of her body, including her face, after the attack on May 3 last year. Deputy Judge Barnes examined Ms Lam in her chambers during a previous sitting and described the burn wounds on her hands and arms as horrendous. The court also was told Ms Lam suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric ward three times. The couple initially embarked on a short-lived relationship three years ago when Ms Lam worked as a waitress at a restaurant Lai frequented. But Lai became distressed when he heard Ms Lam had become intimately involved with one of his friends. Last April, Lai showed up at Ms Lam's subsequent workplace, a home for the elderly in Sha Tin, and asked to discuss their relationship. Ms Lam refused, the court heard, but Lai again approached her on May 3 as she was leaving work with several colleagues. After she ignored Lai's approach, he emptied a bottle of drain cleaner over her. Realising how much Ms Lam was injured, Lai took her by taxi to hospital, where she remained until August 7.
