Hong Kong court jails US man for 3 months over drug possession, trafficking in case linked to hotel overdose death
- Golf coach Michael Saromines, 40, appears at Eastern Court for sentencing on two drug offences related to case involving death of man who overdosed in hotel
- Defendant pleaded guilty to having two syringes with traces of drugs on them, as well as crystalline solid containing meth, dipentylone
A golf coach has been sentenced to three months in jail for drug possession and trafficking over a case that involved the death of a Hongkonger who overdosed in a hotel room.
United States national Michael Ikaika Tai Seichi Saromines, 40, appeared in Eastern Court for sentencing on Wednesday, a day after 46-year-old Jerry Liu Wai-ip was jailed for eight months in connection with the same case.
The pair earlier pleaded guilty to possessing two syringes containing traces of the drugs dipentylone, a stimulant, and etizolam, a drug used in some countries to treat anxiety, as well as a crystalline solid containing methamphetamine and dipentylone.
Saromines and Liu were arrested in July 2022 after they shared a room in Hotel Madera Hollywood in Central with Chen Te-ming, who died at the scene. Both at first faced manslaughter charges, but they were later withdrawn by the prosecution.
Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui Yee-mei said that although a custodial sentence had to be imposed, she added the offence was committed over a “social drug-sharing” night when an “unfortunate” tragedy occurred.
“It was a tragedy not expected by you or your friend [Liu],” she said.
Chui learned from Saromines’ mitigation letters that he had acted out of character on the night of the incident but voluntarily told police where the drugs had come from and even confessed to trafficking the narcotic.
“He was devastated not only because of the present proceedings but also of the unfortunate loss of a good friend that [he] cherished,” she said.