A man yesterday admitted robbing an owner of a well-known Sai Kung seafood restaurant five years ago, during which his accomplice chopped the victim so hard that he lost the sight of his right eye.
Transport worker Kwok Ngai-man, 38, pleaded guilty in the Court of First Instance to the robbery on October 16, 2006.
Kwok's crime came to light last year through DNA profiling technology when he was caught for another offence. He confessed that he robbed Ng Kam-fuk, one of the owners of Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant, at knifepoint when Ng was on his way to a bank.
Prosecutor Simon Tam Man-fai said Kwok tried to grab a bag Ng was carrying that contained HK$510,000 in cash and a cheque for HK$325,000. As Ng struggled, they fell to the ground and Kwok lost his grip on the knife.
Ng then grabbed Kwok tightly and cried for help. An accomplice of Kwok, who is still on the run and whose identity is unknown, chopped Ng repeatedly on the head and limbs. Kwok was slashed in the back when Ng used him to ward off the attack. The two robbers then fled in a car.
The court heard that the victim had a 16cm cut running from his forehead to his chin, numerous cuts to his limbs, a ruptured right eyeball and bone fractures. He underwent several operations and spent two weeks in hospital.
