Coronavirus patient who fled from Hong Kong hospital jailed for four months
- Kowloon City Court sentenced Li Wan-keung, 63, on Friday over his act two months ago
- Deputy Magistrate Tobias Cheng slammed the man for his ‘very selfish’ behaviour which had placed the public at risk of infection
Kowloon City Court initially sentenced Li Wan-keung to six months behind bars on Friday, after he fled Queen Elizabeth Hospital on December 18.
The court shaved two months from the term upon review after noticing the initial sentence was beyond the maximum penalty permitted by the law.
Deputy Magistrate Tobias Cheng Yun-chung slammed the 63-year-old unemployed man for his “very selfish” behaviour which had placed the public at risk, adding a term in prison was necessary to reflect the “very serious” nature of the offence.
The court heard Li was first sent to quarantine at a facility in Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island on December 7 last year, after he was deemed a close contact of a confirmed case.
Li tested positive for the virus four days later, and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on December 14 for treatment.
