Hong Kong beauty parlour owner acquitted over botched facelift that left sister comatose
- Judge rules that Cindy Yip, 52, bore no responsibility for the procedure, which was performed by a third party
- Mainland beautician who pleaded guilty in 2018 for performing surgery without registration had blamed Yip for passing her an incorrect syringe
A Hong Kong beauty parlour owner accused of helping with a facial treatment that left her sister in a coma cried in relief on Monday as a court acquitted her of all charges.
Cindy Yip Pui-ling, 52, was put on trial after her 55-year-old sister fell into a coma after receiving an injection at her Pure Beauty Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on September 11, 2017.
The District Court heard Yip had passed beautician Ye Liurong a syringe upon her request, which was then injected into her sister’s cheek right before she reported feeling pain and fell unconscious.
Only then did Ye, who was not an employee of the shop, realise her client had been injected with adrenaline rather than the anaesthetic lignocaine.
Hong Kong woman dies after falling into coma during liposuction in South Korea
The victim was immediately sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment, while Yip and Ye were subsequently arrested.
The court heard Yip was distraught upon seeing her sister in hospital and became so emotional she could not respond to questions from police.
Later, she told investigators: “I only helped Ah May [the beautician’s nickname] by passing her the syringe, because she was helping my elder sister with her facial treatment. I know nothing else.”
The sister later emerged from the comatose state and was sent home from hospital about a week after the incident.
Ye, from the mainland, pleaded guilty in 2018 to one count of practising medicine or surgery without registration, for which she was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
The 35-year-old had received training on the mainland and in South Korea, the court heard, and blamed Yip for passing her the wrong syringe.
Meanwhile, Yip pleaded not guilty to the same count as well as charges of possessing Part I poison and unregistered pharmaceutical products or substances.
Prosecutors said Yip had helped her sister find someone to do the procedure, been in and out of the room to check on her sister and passed the syringe to Ye as instructed.
But Yip testified she had only gone into the room out of curiosity and was not involved in promoting, explaining or administering the treatment.
Yip also said it was Ye who brought the necessary materials for the treatment and was the sole person to receive payment.
Despite deaths, still no action on Hong Kong beauty industry
That explanation was accepted by Deputy District Judge Winnie Lau Yee-wan, who observed the defence’s case was supported by the victim’s testimony.
The judge concluded the victim had agreed to the treatment of her own volition and her sister had no reason or incentive to promote it when the funds were all going to Ye.
Lau also said it was hard for the court to imagine Yip would knowingly endanger her closest family member and arrange for a treatment she suspected could be unlawful.
She also concluded Yip knew nothing about and was not in possession of the chemicals seized, and cleared the defendant of all three charges.
Yip wailed in the dock as the judge left the courtroom.
Her defence counsel indicated after the ruling that she would apply for costs from the prosecution to cover her lawyer fees.
Practising medicine or surgery without registration carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison in Hong Kong.
