Hong Kong man who stabbed MTR worker with syringe denies being mentally ill, but judge sends him back to psychiatric centre
- Pang Wai-ming pleads guilty to wounding in connection with incident at Kwai Fong station last March
- Pang says he planned assault because he was angry at constantly having his ticket checked
A man who stabbed a Hong Kong railway worker in the neck with a syringe because he was angry at having his ticket inspected has been sent back to a psychiatric centre, despite denying being mentally ill.
Pleading guilty on Wednesday to wounding and three other offences, Pang Wai-ming acknowledged in District Court that he had committed a “very serious” crime and a jail term of considerable length was inevitable.
The 36-year-old, who was escorted to the dock in an orange jumpsuit, denied being mentally ill and accused the prison service of forcing him to undergo psychiatric treatment against his wishes.
Judge Ernest Michael Lin Kam-hung dismissed the complaint and extended the defendant’s remand in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre until sentencing on November 11.
The court heard Pang, who was unemployed, attacked MTR Corporation employee Wan Ka-fai with a 15cm syringe at Kwai Fong station on March 7 last year.
After his arrest, Pang told police his ticket had been checked on multiple occasions in the past, and felt he was consistently stopped by railway staff.
He said he had planned his attack a week before the incident, bringing a syringe whenever he was out looking to “scare” ticket inspectors.
When arriving at Kwai Fong station at 5pm that day, Pang approached Wan from behind and stabbed the back of his neck with the empty syringe, before jumping a turnstile and running away. Pang said he picked Wan as he felt the victim would come to check his ticket.
A government pathologist said Wan did not suffer serious injury, but noted the tip of the needle was bent after the jab, suggesting it could have pierced through the deep muscles of the neck and reached the vertebra or skull.
Police discovered Pang had committed other unrelated offences, stealing two bank cards and an electronic cash card from three people.
He faces up to seven years in jail after pleading guilty to a count of wounding with intent and three of theft.
