A MAN facing rape and robbery charges pleaded guilty in the middle of his trial in the High Court yesterday and was sentenced to nine years' jail by Mr Justice Bewley.
Leung Shi-keung, 31, had been expected to be the first defendant to challenge DNA evidence against him linking him with the rape victim, calling an expert from England to testify and a professor of statistics from Hong Kong University.
However, yesterday he admitted robbing two young women of cash and jewellery as they returned home late at night in Chuk Yuen North area on January 9, 1993, and went on to rape one of them.
The Crown offered no evidence on a third robbery count.
In mitigation, Chan Siu-ming said no weapons were used and he was under the influence of soft drugs when he raped the woman.
His change of plea had saved the victim from having to recall her ordeal in the witness box, he added.
