Decision on cause of Hong Kong student’s fatal fall expected by Friday, as jurors instructed to rule out possibility he was pushed
- Coroner Ko Wai-hung says the evidence does not support the conclusion that Chow Tsz-lok was pushed to his death, given the nature of his injuries
- Chow died four days after suffering a fall inside a Tseung Kwan O car park in November of 2019, as police dispersed protesters nearby
Coroner Ko Wai-hung gave instructions to the five-member jury on deliberations at the end of a five-week inquest into the death of Alex Chow Tsz-lok, who sustained severe head injuries after falling inside a multistorey car park in Tseung Kwan O in November of 2019.
The jury will decide on the cause of death for the 22-year-old, choosing from a range of possible findings deemed sufficiently substantiated by evidence submitted to the Coroner’s Court over the course of the inquiry.
While Ko had yet to reveal the full list of available options on Thursday, he said the jury could exclude the possibility that Chow was pushed over a low wall before falling four metres inside the car park, as that would be inconsistent with his injuries.
Chow, who studied at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, was found in a coma on the second floor of the Sheung Tak Estate car park in the early hours of November 4, 2019, as police were dispersing anti-government protesters nearby. He died in hospital four days later following heart failure.