Guard gets 7 years' jail for killing lover

Security guard Chan Yat-wah was sentenced to seven years in prison for manslaughter yesterday, after an alcohol-fuelled quarrel last year ended in the death of his girlfriend, Chung Mui-fong.

Chan, 28, was remorseful, apologised to Chung's family, and confessed to police soon after learning that he inflicted a fatal beating on the 48-year-old, Mr Justice Darryl Saw said in the Court of First Instance.

Chan offered to plead guilty to manslaughter before his trial last month, which ended after Mr Justice Saw ruled that the evidence did not support a murder charge.

The case hinged on whether Chan knew his beating produced injuries that would have caused serious bodily harm or death - a key distinction between manslaughter and murder, which carries an automatic life sentence.

Chan's judgment on the severity of his victim's injuries might have been clouded by alcohol, the judge said, adding that Chan called Chung a number of times to check on her condition after their fight on September 8. Chan, who had no history of violence, 'is clearly a person who may be rehabilitated', the judge said.

'Nevertheless, the defendant's conduct has resulted in the tragic death of an innocent person and for this he must be appropriately punished. It was a brutal and, it would appear, sustained attack.'