Driven into the arms of the law
Bungling bag snatchers delivered themselves into the arms of the law when they smashed their getaway car into a parked police van, a court heard yesterday.
Jewellery salesman Cheng Chi-ming, 31, and To Kwok-hung are accused of robbing and assaulting 25-year-old woman Leung Tung-tung as she walked to her vehicle in a Yau Ma Tei parking lot.
Yesterday in the Court of First Instance, Cheng pleaded guilty to the unlawful taking of a vehicle and wounding with intent, but denied taking the woman's handbag.
To pleaded guilty to all charges at an earlier hearing.
Prosecutor Thomas Law Kwan-wai said Ms Leung was chased and beaten with a police baton by To while Cheng stood nearby on the night of October 5, 1997.
'[To] hit her head with a baton 10 times. She was bleeding and had left a huge bloodstain on the ground. She pleaded with To to stop hitting her,' Mr Law said.
The court heard the men sped away in Ms Leung's car with police in pursuit. The chase had barely started when they hit a water hydrant and then crashed into the police van.
To and Cheng will be sentenced next month by Deputy Judge Louis Tong.