A New Zealand woman who skipped the country after a bank blunder made her boyfriend an accidental millionaire gave birth in Hong Kong while on the run from the authorities. She plans to return to the city when the courts are finished with her.
Kara Hurring, 32, lived it up in the city and in Macau after fleeing her home country with her boyfriend, Leo Gao Hiu in May 2009. Westpac Bank accidentally transferred NZ$10 million (HK$64.86 million) into Gao's account, instead of the NZ$100,000 he had requested as a loan to prop up his struggling service station business.
Hurring became pregnant while on the run and gave birth to a boy in the city last year. Her solicitor, Simon Lance, confirmed that the child was born in Hong Kong but was vague on other specifics.
'Kara did have a son - he was born in Hong Kong. She returned to New Zealand shortly afterwards,' Lance said. 'Before this Kara was living in southern China and had a good job. Once her legal issues are resolved in New Zealand, she intends to return to southern China.'
On the strength of New Zealand and Australian media reports it is understood that when referring to 'southern China', Lance means Hong Kong.
The couple disappeared on May 7, 2009, along with Hurring's seven-year-old daughter, Leena, from a previous relationship. A few weeks later, Gao spent NZ$658,643 at the Wynn Macau casino. The couple spent the time partying in Macau and Hong Kong, according to Hurring's sister, Aroha, who joined the fugitives and posted updates on Facebook about their escapades.