A disqualified driver whose refuse truck killed a pedestrian while he was reversing it without sounding an alarm was told yesterday he would go to jail. Ng Yuen-fai was also told by Principal Magistrate Tong Man that he could be disqualified from driving for the rest of his life. Mr Tong remanded him in custody until his sentencing on November 23. Ng, 46, pleaded guilty in Tsuen Wan Court to dangerous driving causing death, nine charges of driving while disqualified, five of using a faulty vehicle, and one of driving without insurance. He admitted continuing to drive his truck daily since being disqualified for six months in July for one of 14 previous traffic offences. The court heard that on September 18 he had been transporting household rubbish from Soy Street in Mong Kok to the Southeast New Territory Landfill. He reversed 38 metres along Soy Street, entered Tak Cheong Street, and backed a further 38 metres towards the blind end of the street before knocking down Yeung Kit-chi, 50. He did not notice the accident and continued to reverse until he felt the wheels go over something. He found the woman trapped beneath the rear wheels with fatal injuries to her head and abdomen. The court heard that closed-circuit television tapes seized from the landfill showed Ng's truck entering repeatedly from August 1. He could clearly be seen driving it on eight occasions. His vehicle was found to have five defects, including no audible reversing alarm, a missing seat belt and a worn tyre. Mr Tong said Ng had committed numerous offences of driving while disqualified. 'Given that one count warrants three years' disqualification ... he might be disqualified until he dies,' he said. In mitigation, barrister Kenneth Ho King-man said Ng, the father of two children aged 13 and 15, was his family's sole breadwinner. His two aged parents, both deaf and dumb, also needed his care. Mr Ho said Ng had already spent 50 days in jail on remand and had not applied for bail because he would rather stay behind bars than face the dead woman's family, as he was extremely sorry for his actions.
