A day after her son was found responsible for killing two fellow policemen and a security guard, Cheung Wai-mei has spoken of the difficult time she and her family have gone through as relatives of the perpetrator of Hong Kong's most high-profile shoot-out.
Speaking exclusively to the South China Morning Post, Ms Cheung dodged the question of whether she, as the mother of constable Tsui Po-ko, should apologise on behalf of her son.
The 61-year-old retiree said she had tried to talk herself into acknowledging that her son was a killer, but she still found it hard to reconcile the image of Tsui as a brutal gunman with her memories of a good, and at times lonely, son.
Asked to respond to the calls for her to apologise, Ms Cheung said: 'Only those who have ever lost their loved ones would understand our feelings. Nothing could ever compensate for the loss.
'I sincerely wish everyone who suffered a loss of loved ones could regain their strength to carry on with their lives. I send this as my best wish to everyone of us involved in the inquest.'
Ms Cheung was the highest-profile member of the Tsui family during the 37-day inquest, maintaining a dignified presence during her regular appearances at the court.
