Canto-pop singer sentenced for leaving autistic son home alone

Canto-pop singer and composer Dominic Chow Kai-seng was sentenced to 80 hours community service today for leaving his 13-year-old autistic and epileptic son home alone for more than a week.

Chow, 53, pleaded guilty last month to leaving his son at home alone between May 24 to June 2 last year in his Happy Valley apartment.

He repeated the plea at the Eastern Court today but voiced disagreement to part of a court report which cited his ex-wife’s statement.

He said his ex-wife and birth mother to the boy knew his address and phone number and had also taken their son out once or twice, which differed from her statement in the report.

The judge told Chow that if he failed to perform his community service he would reconsider his sentence.

Chow was arrested in June last year in his flat in Shing Wo Road just after midnight when he returned from a trip to the mainland.

Neighbours called police when Chow’s son was found wandering around outside and they feared for his safety. Police found the boy alone in the flat.