Cause of death at sea a mystery after coroner gives open verdict

The death of a man whose unconscious body was dumped into the sea from a boat remains a mystery after the coroner returned an open verdict yesterday after a three-day inquest.

In the early hours of November 17, 2007, Law Ah-sang was travelling with skipper Ng Tai-sing on a speedboat to Ling Ting Island in mainland waters east of Hong Kong.

Law's widow, Leung Cheung-tai, told the coroner her late husband had phoned her before his trip. He said he would be home for dinner the next night, but never returned. Law, whose body was never found, was 63.

Coroner William Ng Sing-wai said that based on the evidence he could not return a verdict of unlawful killing or death by misadventure.

Ng Tai-sing stood trial last September for preventing the lawful burial of a corpse. He had told police he was travelling with Law and two men when the speedboat hit a buoy.

Law, who was standing at the bow, fell and lost consciousness. He was bleeding from a head injury, according to Ng Tai-sing, who panicked and threw Law's body into the sea. Ng was afraid that mainland Public Security Bureau officers who patrolled the area would discover it.

But scientific evidence officer Cheung Ka-kwong told the coroner no blood stains were found on the speedboat, nor was there any unusual damage to the boat or the buoys. Deputy Judge Anthony Kwok Kai-on convicted Ng Tai-sing in the District Court in September and sentenced him to 34 months in jail.