Hong Kong appeal court quashes murder conviction of university professor found guilty of strangling wife and orders retrial
- Cheung Kie-chung, 59, was convicted in 2020 of strangling his wife with a cable and hiding her body in a wooden box in office
- He argued that the judge in his original High Court trial had misdirected the jury
Hong Kong’s appeal court has quashed the conviction of a university professor found guilty of murdering his wife almost six years ago and ordered a retrial.
Cheung Kie-chung, 59, was convicted in 2020 of strangling the mother of his two children with a cable and concealing her body in a home-made wooden box which he stored in his campus office in August 2018.
The former University of Hong Kong mechanical engineering professor, who was serving a mandatory life sentence, had lodged an appeal against his murder conviction, arguing the judge in his original High Court trial had misdirected the jury.
On Friday, three Court of Appeal judges – Mr Justice Andrew Macrae, Mr Justice Kevin Zervos and Madam Justice Maggie Poon – granted the appeal after hearing Cheung’s submission.
The court heard that Cheung had admitted to the manslaughter of his wife Tina Chan Wai-man, 53, by reason of provocation, but that was rejected by prosecutors.