Confessions in Hong Kong cement murder: victim forced to breathe in chloroform and injected in thigh
Court hears grisly details from three more defendants facing conspiracy charge
More details surrounding the body-in-cement murder case emerged on Friday as Tsuen Wan Court heard the alleged murderers confessed to covering the victim’s mouth and nose with chloroform and administering an injection to at least one of his inner thighs.
The revelation came as three more defendants – Tsang Cheung-yan, 26, Keith Lau, 21, and Cheung Sin-hang, 23 – were brought to court to face a conspiracy murder charge.
It was alleged that on March 4 they conspired, confederated and agreed with Ho Ling-yu to murder Cheung Man-li, 28, at Flat 9D of industrial building DAN 6 on Fui Yiu Kok Street in Tsuen Wan.
The three men, all unemployed, were not required to enter a plea at their first court appearance before acting principal magistrate Cheang Kei-hong.
But prosecutor Esther Mak Wai-ling noted the three had “already made confessions relevant to the case, including administration of an injection to an inner thigh of the victim and using chloroform to cover his mouth and nose”.
Mak did not, however, reveal what was injected, which leg was involved, and how many injections were administered.
The prosecutor requested a three-day adjournment for an identification parade and asked that the defendants be remanded in police custody.
A duty lawyer said Tsang had skin allergies that were already visible on his hands and that a doctor had advised him to keep his skin clean and dry.
Mak said some witnesses had already been arranged to carry out the identification in the next few days and that it would be better if the parade were carried out while their memories were still fresh.
If the defendants were under the department’s custody, she continued, investigators would have to move documents to another police station where defendants under the department’s custody were usually sent for an identification parade.
A move to the department would also entail making additional officers available to escort the defendants given the severity of the case, the prosecutor added.
The magistrate eventually granted Mak’s request after it was found the department-linked station was fully booked until next Wednesday.
The case was to return for mention on April 20.
The same court had already remanded the defendant Ho under custody after her first court appearance on Thursday. Her case was adjourned to June 23.
