Lawmaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung blames 'stranger' in dangerous-driving trial
Jeffrey Lam tells court he drove down wrong side of road after mystery person misled him
A mysterious "person in a raincoat" was to blame for lawmaker and executive councillor Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung driving down the wrong side of the road last July, a court heard.
Lam, 61, told Kwun Tong Court yesterday that he had driven into southbound Wang Chiu Road as he was on his way to a music festival in Kai Tak, after the person motioned for him to stick to a right-hand lane.
Lam was speaking at his first trial since the prosecution raised the initial reckless-driving charge to the more serious charge of dangerous driving in November.
Acting Principal Magistrate Don So Man-lung yesterday ruled there was a case for Lam to answer on the charge of dangerous driving.
"A person in a hooded raincoat raised his left arm … I thought he was giving me directions to stick to the lane on the far right," he said. "I knew there were special arrangements for the festival and I thought the person was giving me directions."
Five police officers were called on by the prosecution to testify against the politician and National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference member.
The alleged offence occurred at the junction of Wang Chiu Road and Cheung Yip Street in Kowloon Bay as Lam made his way to the cut-price Dome Festival on July 1.