Absent witness causes trial delay
A MISSING witness led to the adjournment of a trial against two men accused of conspiring and inciting a man to wound an Appeal Court judge.
The trial was adjourned yesterday when the court was told that the police had failed to contact the main witness in the case. He was expected to provide all the evidence against film producer Leung Ting-fong.
Leung, 26, and Lee Wing-pui, 24, a driver, denied unlawfully inciting Chau Yu-sang, 23, to unlawfully and maliciously wound Mr Justice Litton with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
At the District Court yesterday they were further accused of unlawfully conspiring with Chau and with others to unlawfully and maliciously wound Mr Justice Litton with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Both offences are alleged to have taken place on June 24 last year at the Thai Cantonese Seafood Restaurant, Tsim Sha Tsui.
Valerie Penlington, prosecuting, told the court that police efforts to contact Chau, who has been given immunity from prosecution to give evidence, had so far been unsuccessful.
Mrs Penlington said: ''He is the Crown's principal witness and, indeed, the only witness of fact against [Leung].'' She added that as the victim was ''a person of some eminence'' it was particularly important that the case go ahead. Initially, Mrs Penlington asked for an adjournment of two or three months.
Following objections by defence counsel Cheng Huan QC, Judge Caird adjourned the case until September 27 and extended the defendants' bail.
The court heard that Mr Chau went missing after a dispute with his family about a month ago, but police believed he would return home.
Mr Cheng said evidence could be presented to the court to prevent Mr Justice Litton having to testify.
