A woman who conspired to blackmail a religious leader over gay sex encounters was jailed for five years yesterday.
Li Dora Kay, 59, was found guilty in the District Court of two counts of conspiracy to blackmail. She tried unsuccessfully to halt her trial on the grounds that wide media coverage would influence the judge.
Li plotted with Cheung Ka-wo, a Chinese University doctoral student, to extort more than HK$6.3 million from the victim, identified only as 'X', in April and May 2009.
Cheung secretly filmed the sex sessions he had with X, then he and Li threatened to release the videos unless X paid them.
Cheung, 28, has been jailed for four years for his role in the crime, which the judge called despicable and an attempted murder of the soul.
Defence lawyer Shahmim Khattak said X had only himself to blame. 'Had he been a decent man and watchful about his words and deeds, the crime would not have happened,' he said.
Handing down the sentence, Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong called Li and Cheung's conduct shameful and despicable.