https://www.scmp.com/rss/308616/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A homeowner on Wednesday urged the High Court to review government property cooling measures, claiming he was unfairly charged HK$273,000 stamp duty. The measure, intended to curb property speculation, imposes double stamp duty but allows an exemption for owners who buy a new property for their own use and sell their previous home within six months. But Ho Kwok-tai sold two small flats to buy a bigger one for his family and as such didn’t get the tax refund. He wanted the court to review the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1898429/hong-kong-property-cooling-measures-unfair-argues-homeowner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1898429/hong-kong-property-cooling-measures-unfair-argues-homeowner?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:27:26 +0000 A shout from an excited little boy alerted a teacher to the possible leaking of interview questions for a school admission test. At his interview, the kindergarten pupil said the Chinese and English words the teacher showed him were the same as those cited by his mother in revision practice the night before, Kowloon City Court heard yesterday. Mak Suk-yee, a teacher at Church of Christ in China Heep Woh Primary School in Prince Edward, said the pupil’s reaction to the interview on June 14, 2014... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1898310/wah-same-again-hong-kong-pupil-alerts-teacher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1898310/wah-same-again-hong-kong-pupil-alerts-teacher?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2016 03:53:12 +0000 A man told his debtor he could pay him back by “cooking” cocaine but that he would have to take all the blame if caught by police, the Court of First Instance heard today. Lam Wai-kuen, 25, denies one count of conspiracy to manufacture a dangerous drug and one of conspiracy to traffic dangerous drugs. Prosecutor Paul Leung told the jury in his opening speech that Lam and Tang Ho-keung, 25, were stopped by the police in Yuen Long on April 11, 2014. The police found two packs of dangerous drugs on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1897983/man-told-he-could-pay-debt-cooking-cocaine-hong-kong-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1897983/man-told-he-could-pay-debt-cooking-cocaine-hong-kong-court?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jan 2016 12:44:35 +0000 A judge has rejected a Cheung Chau resident’s application for a judicial review of a government decision on plumbing work at public housing estates found to have tainted drinking water. Mr Justice Kevin Zervos ruled that an independent inquiry would deal with the matter. Kwok Cheuk-kin filed the application to the High Court against the heads of three departments: Transport and Housing, Water Supplies and the Housing Authority. He wanted to challenge the departments’ failure to hire qualified... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1897978/judge-rejects-judicial-review-bid-over-plumbing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1897978/judge-rejects-judicial-review-bid-over-plumbing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:03:47 +0000 A construction worker who splashed drain cleaner on diners in two restaurants after a massage worker refused to have sex with him was ordered yesterday to receive medical treatment in hospital for a year. Lam Yan-lun, 47, pleaded guilty in the High Court to eight counts of throwing corrosive fluid with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Eight people, including a 3 1/ 2-year-old boy, suffered burns in the attacks on November 25 last year. Lam told the police he selected two Cafe de Coral fast... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1896414/boy-3-injured-cafe-de-coral-restaurant-acid-attack-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1896414/boy-3-injured-cafe-de-coral-restaurant-acid-attack-after?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2015 16:30:45 +0000 A robber who gave himself up after 22 years on the run was jailed for 15 months in the High Court yesterday. Garage worker Ma Hon-kwong, 54, claimed he had tried to give himself before, only to be told by police to “go home” or “stop playing”. He said they had not even checked his ID card. After discussing the problem with his sister he decided that the best solution was to walk into Kwun Tong Police Station, where he was arrested for the offence back in May 1993. Ma was arrested in June this... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1896401/police-told-me-stop-playing-after-22-years-run-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1896401/police-told-me-stop-playing-after-22-years-run-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2015 15:15:00 +0000 A homosexual civil servant has challenged the government’s refusal to recognise his same-sex marriage and says he and his partner are unable to enjoy the same benefits as heterosexual couples. In a High Court document calling for a review, Leung Chun-kwong, a senior immigration officer, claimed that the decisions by the heads of the Civil Service Bureau and Inland Revenue discriminated against his sexual orientation and were unconstitutional. His application document states: “At its heart, this... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1895583/fight-equality-hong-kong-gay-civil-servant-sues-claim-same?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1895583/fight-equality-hong-kong-gay-civil-servant-sues-claim-same?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Dec 2015 11:00:15 +0000 A Filipino woman, who carried more than 1.3kg of cocaine to Hong Kong while she was four months pregnant, was jailed for 14 years 8 months at the High Court this morning. Vergara Catherine Bustillo, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking dangerous drugs, with an estimated street value of more than HK$1.77 million, from Manila to Hong Kong on February 2 this year. She gave birth to a baby boy when she was in custody pending for the sentence. Mr Justice Kevin Zervos, sentencing, said “I... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1893895/filipina-drug-mule-who-carried-hk177m-worth-cocaine-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1893895/filipina-drug-mule-who-carried-hk177m-worth-cocaine-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Dec 2015 09:15:45 +0000 Police had no right to search the content of a mobile phone seized from a person arrested following last year’s July 1 march as data stored in the Cloud was not covered by a law drafted more than 20 years ago, the High Court heard yesterday. Barrister Hectar Pun SC, representing protester Sham Wing-kan said: “All information stored on a smartphone is not subject to be searched because the information was stored [in the Cloud].” He suggested the police read the Police Ordinance “too widely” and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1893787/data-cloud-not-covered-ordinance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1893787/data-cloud-not-covered-ordinance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Dec 2015 18:45:30 +0000 Former TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan and his personal assistant were convicted today for conspiracy to accept an advantage and fined them HK$84,000 and HK$28,000 respectively. District Court Judge Poon Siu-tung, presiding in the High Court after previously acquitting Chan, 55, and Edthancy Tseng Pei-kun, 33, found the men guilty and did not impose a jail sentence. The charge stated that Chan, as host of the talk show Be My Guest, received HK$112,000 for his appearance at a mall... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892569/former-tvb-boss-stephen-chan-found-guilty-hong-kong-bribery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892569/former-tvb-boss-stephen-chan-found-guilty-hong-kong-bribery?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Dec 2015 03:00:00 +0000 Yung Kee restaurant may still be in business as usual despite a winding up order imposed on Wednesday, but whether it can continue to operate remains uncertain, say legal and accounting experts. And if it can carry on, its trademark fragrant dishes could be in danger. The Court of Final Appeal order was issued against Yung Kee Holdings Company, a British Virgin Island registered company that holds the assets of the family, including the restaurant, through a number of subsidiary companies. “It... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892507/ovens-still-fired-trademark-fragrant-dishes-could-be-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892507/ovens-still-fired-trademark-fragrant-dishes-could-be-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2015 17:15:15 +0000 One of the two families feuding over the operation of the famous roast goose restaurant Yung Kee said this morning that it hoped business could continue despite their failure to reach a settlement. Yvonne Kam Kiu-yan, daughter of Ronald Kam Kwan-lai, made the comments after having the first meeting with the company’s official receiver to find out more about the winding-up order imposed by the Court of Final Appeal last night. “No matter whose hands Yung Kee falls into, I just hope it will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892398/yung-kee-restaurant-can-live-hong-kong-family-member-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892398/yung-kee-restaurant-can-live-hong-kong-family-member-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2015 07:45:15 +0000 The wind-up order against the holding company of the famous roast goose restaurant Yung Kee has come into effect as the two brothers’ families feuding over it failed to reach an agreement. The restaurant’s business will not be affected in the meantime, said Yvonne Kam Kiu-yan, the daughter of younger brother Ronald Kam Kwan-lai, as the eatery is run by a subsidiary company. But she said she had no idea what would happen to the family business of over 70 years after the order comes into... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892277/last-ditch-effort-save-yung-kee-fails-roast-goose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1892277/last-ditch-effort-save-yung-kee-fails-roast-goose?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Dec 2015 17:45:00 +0000 The future of the iconic roast goose restaurant Yung Kee’s remains uncertain as the families of the two feuding brothers still failed to reach a settlement in buying up shares on the night before the effective day of the winding up order, which was set to be today. Yvonne Kam Kiu-yan, the daughter of the younger brother Ronald Kam Kwan-lai, yesterday confirmed the court allowed them to extend the deadline for making a deal until later today . However, no deal had yet been reached. “My father... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1891725/yung-kee-family-feud-iconic-roast-goose-restaurants-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1891725/yung-kee-family-feud-iconic-roast-goose-restaurants-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2015 18:30:30 +0000 Three Court of Appeal judges found that a request by former TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan to delay his conviction and sentencing was like asking the courts to put the cart before the horse, according to their judgment. The judges rejected Chan’s request to order a District Court judge not to convict and sentence him on a bribery charge on the coming Friday as he was making an application to the top court. The judges handed down their reasons today. READ MORE: Former TVB manager... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1891601/hong-kong-appeal-judges-accuse-former-tvb-general-manager?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1891601/hong-kong-appeal-judges-accuse-former-tvb-general-manager?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2015 11:33:23 +0000 Late billionaire Yu Pang-lin, who tried to turn one of his properties – kung fu legend Bruce Lee’s former Hong Kong mansion – into a museum before he died left all his assets to charity, according to a court document. His grandson Pang Chi-ping filed a writ in the High Court yesterday asking the court to declare that the will made on July 21, 2011, was valid and should be executed. The court action puts Pang at odds with his uncle Pang Ah-fan and cousin Pang San-hon, who each filed a caveat... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1890133/family-tycoon-who-owned-bruce-lees-mansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1890133/family-tycoon-who-owned-bruce-lees-mansion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Dec 2015 04:00:15 +0000 Five villagers are millions of dollars out of pocket after a judge threw out their claim for damages over a land deal that turned sour and said both sides had made false representations. The ruling on the small house policy came four days after the District Court jailed 11 villagers and a developer for misrepresentation and perjury to the Lands Department in their applications. Mr Justice Anthony To Kwai-fung wrote in his High Court judgment on the civil case that "both the developers and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1888772/judge-rejects-damages-claim-hong-kong-villagers-who-sold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1888772/judge-rejects-damages-claim-hong-kong-villagers-who-sold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Dec 2015 16:16:33 +0000 Former TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan will face sentencing next Friday after the Court of Appeal refused his request to stay the procedure. Vice-president Mr Justice Wally Yeung Chun-kuen said this morning: “The Court of Appeal has already found Chan should be found guilty of the [bribery] charge.” “I can’t see any reasonable basis to support halting the order,” he said. READ MORE: TVB ex-manager Stephen Chan has decision on bribery charges delayed by Hong Kong court Yeung, with Ms... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1888000/former-tvb-boss-stephen-chan-loses-request-delay-sentencing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1888000/former-tvb-boss-stephen-chan-loses-request-delay-sentencing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2015 06:15:00 +0000 A developer and 11 indigenous villagers were jailed for up to three years on Friday for a scam in which they sold their land rights under the small house policy for profit. Judge Sham Siu-man said the government relied on villagers' integrity and honesty to operate the scheme, but this case showed the policy was "unfeasible". Developer David Li Yam-pui, 82, approached indigenous villagers to buy their small house rights, then used their names to deceive the Lands Department and build houses on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1886919/hong-kong-developer-and-11-villagers-jailed-deceiving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1886919/hong-kong-developer-and-11-villagers-jailed-deceiving?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Dec 2015 15:00:15 +0000 Two trustees handling the property of bankrupt and jailed former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan filed lawsuits on Thursday at the High Court to pursue over HK$15 million from two parties, including a company Hui’s wife directed. Mat Ng and John Lees, managing directors of accounting firm JLA Asia and trustees of Hui’s property, asked for HK$15.29 million from a company called Top Faith Enterprises Limited. According to the government’s companies registry, Hui’s wife Teresa Lo Mei-mei served... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1886729/trustees-chase-hk15-million-rafael-hui-former-hong-kong-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1886729/trustees-chase-hk15-million-rafael-hui-former-hong-kong-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Dec 2015 07:15:30 +0000 A distinguished former top judge has launched a stinging attack on Hong Kong’s legal system, lashing out at how judicial reviews were being “misused” and some judgments “so obscure” that no one could understand them. In a doom-laden critique of a system “drowning in irrelevance”, former Court of Final Appeal judge Henry Litton said Hong Kong must put in place a “robust” and “rigorous” legal system relevant to ordinary people. Litton – who retired in July – said a hidebound judicial system was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1886359/hong-kongs-legal-system-misused-and-drowning-irrelevance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1886359/hong-kongs-legal-system-misused-and-drowning-irrelevance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Dec 2015 04:15:30 +0000 The High Court has allowed internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom to access some of his restrained Hong Kong assets to pay part of his legal costs and for living expenses. Deputy judge Wilson Chan Ka-shun found the German-born businessman had fully disclosed his financial situation to a New Zealand court earlier this year. “I am satisfied that Dotcom is not able to meet his own [expenses],” the judge said. As a New Zealand court had allowed Dotcom to access NZ$80,000 (HK$406,000) per month for his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1885720/court-allows-internet-entrepreneur-kim-dotcom-access-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1885720/court-allows-internet-entrepreneur-kim-dotcom-access-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:00:30 +0000 Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, who is wanted by the US government over a US$175 million copyright fraud, has asked a Hong Kong court to release about HK$18 million to cover legal costs and HK$405,000 in monthly payments for his living expenses. Dotcom, the founder of Megaupload, completed a 45-day extradition hearing in New Zealand last week. His legal team in Hong Kong is asking the High Court to change the terms of his restraint order in the city so that Dotcom can access his funds to pay... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1885362/kim-dotcom-asks-hong-kong-court-release-restrained-funds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1885362/kim-dotcom-asks-hong-kong-court-release-restrained-funds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 23:00:45 +0000 A woman has asked the High Court to review a decision by the Town Planning Board to allow a temporary concrete batching plant to be built on a piece of land zoned for the development of Hong Kong Disneyland. Chung Shui-mui, a resident of Kwai Chung, filed an application for a judicial review to the court saying the board had failed to make sufficient inquiries into the project when it granted permission on August 28 for Yiu Lian Dockyards Limited to build the temporary plant. Chung's lawyer, in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1884310/hong-kong-disneyland-site-being-used-concrete-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1884310/hong-kong-disneyland-site-being-used-concrete-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2015 16:01:30 +0000 A Shenzhen driver who opened a bank account in Hong Kong and allowed others to use it to launder HK$2.5 billion within a year was jailed for six years in the High Court yesterday. Lai Haiwei, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder money. Mr Justice Patrick Li Hon-leung said: "There was no evidence to show you knew the crime behind the laundered money. However, you must have known the money was related to something illegal." Li said the amount involved was an important element... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1884317/big-money-shenzhen-driver-jailed-six-years-after-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1884317/big-money-shenzhen-driver-jailed-six-years-after-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2015 16:00:30 +0000 Eleven indigenous villagers and a developer were convicted this morning in District Court of deceiving the government in a ‘small-house’ building scheme. The 11 villagers were found to have illegally sold their right in building “small houses” to developer David Li Yam-pui, 81, and obtained a total of HK$4.3 million in rewards between 2008 and 2011. Judge Sham Siu-man convicted Li as well as Chan Chi-cheong, 51; Wong Cheuk-fan, 49; Wai Chun-kit, 33; Wai Chun-ho, 34; Wan Kwai-lun, 70; Cheng... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1884172/big-trouble-over-small-houses-hong-kong-developer-villagers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1884172/big-trouble-over-small-houses-hong-kong-developer-villagers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2015 08:11:54 +0000 A heavy drug user who chopped his mother to death in the belief she was possessed by a monster was jailed for 10 years this morning. Chu Ka-ho, 29, pleaded guilty in the High Court to one count of manslaughter. He killed Chan Kim-kam, 53, at the Long Bin Interim Housing Estate, Yuen Long, on March 16 last year. Ms Justice Maggie Poon Man-kay told him: “Your vice habit has cost you the life of your mother and your freedom.” READ MORE: Man who killed parents faces challenge to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1883546/psychotic-hong-kong-monster-killer-who-chopped-mother-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1883546/psychotic-hong-kong-monster-killer-who-chopped-mother-death?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2015 08:45:30 +0000 An elderly man who bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer in a row about money was jailed for seven years this morning. Woo Kam-cheung, 77, was convicted of manslaughter after a jury yesterday unanimously found him not guilty of murdering Lai Sau-fong, 76. Deputy Judge Gareth Lugar-Mawson told Woo there was “no evidence to show you are a violent man and the jury accepted that you committed the offence out of character”. READ MORE: Elderly Hong Kong man tells court of his remorse after... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1883530/seven-years-jail-elderly-hong-kong-man-who-beat-wife-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1883530/seven-years-jail-elderly-hong-kong-man-who-beat-wife-death?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2015 07:45:00 +0000 The top economist at one of the world's oldest and most exclusive banks says bullying has forced his 11-year-old daughter out of an English Schools Foundation school - and that her ordeal has cost his family half a million dollars. Mark McFarland, who is global chief economist at Coutts & Co private bank, claims the substantial extra costs were incurred taking the girl out of Kennedy School in Pok Fu Lam - where the alleged bullying took place - moving to a new home and enrolling her in a new... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1883192/costly-experience-parents-girl-who-changed-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1883192/costly-experience-parents-girl-who-changed-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2015 07:15:00 +0000 The reasons for not appointing a democracy supporter to a pro-vice-chancellor post at the University of Hong Kong were a matter of public interest for which restrictions should not be imposed on the press, the High Court heard yesterday. Barrister Martin Lee Chu-ming SC, representing Chinese-language newspaper Apple Daily, argued that the public had the right to know why the university's governing council had rejected the appointment of Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun. Lee urged Mr Justice... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1882603/hong-kong-gag-order-dont-restrict-media-over-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1882603/hong-kong-gag-order-dont-restrict-media-over-university?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Nov 2015 09:15:15 +0000 A mother was glancing through her 13-year-old daughter's diary when she accidentally discovered the child had been molested and nude photographs of her taken during a private session at a Mong Kok guest house in May, the District Court heard on Monday. On questioning the girl, she found out she had come to know the "photographer" via a model advertisement on the internet, the court heard. At the guest house, the girl was asked to take off all her clothes in the room and to lie on the bed for Ipp... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1882408/hong-kong-man-41-admits-taking-indecent-photographs-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1882408/hong-kong-man-41-admits-taking-indecent-photographs-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 16:39:06 +0000 A fitness coach who used the credit cards of customers to sign up for fitness programmes worth more than HK$1.4 million so he could meet sales targets was jailed for three years and four months on Monday. One of the four victims was slapped with a HK$390,000 card bill that remained outstanding when she was declared bankrupt, the District Court heard. The defendant, Nick Mak San-hung, 33, pleaded guilty to 19 counts of fraud, for misleading the customers of California Fitness into thinking they... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1882415/coach-jailed-using-hong-kong-clients-credit-cards-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1882415/coach-jailed-using-hong-kong-clients-credit-cards-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 16:00:45 +0000 Financially struggling broadcaster ATV and its former executive director, James Shing Pan-yu, must pay HK$1.3 million for seriously defaming media tycoon Ricky Wong Wai-kay and his television company in the media, the High Court ruled. In his lawsuit, Wong claimed Shing accused him wrongfully and repeatedly of removing confidential financial documents from ATV during his 12-day service in 2008, and of using the information to apply for a free-television licence for Wong's Hong Kong Television... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1881208/hktv-and-boss-ricky-wong-win-hk13m-libel-payout-atv-and-ex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1881208/hktv-and-boss-ricky-wong-win-hk13m-libel-payout-atv-and-ex?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Nov 2015 16:01:51 +0000 A Guinean who tried to rape a 63-year-old woman when she asked him not to urinate in a lane was jailed for six years in the High Court on Wednesday. The jury of six took three hours to reach a majority verdict and found Ali Keita, 27, guilty. Mr Justice Louis Tong Po-sun said: "[The victim] has done nothing except asking you to go to somewhere else to urinate." He described the victim as a "fragile" and "small" woman and said Keita's conduct was close to rape. The judge recalled one witness, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1880316/guinean-man-who-attacked-small-and-fragile-woman-asking-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1880316/guinean-man-who-attacked-small-and-fragile-woman-asking-him?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2015 16:15:30 +0000 The government has demanded that the owner of an old building that collapsed, causing four deaths in 2010, settle the HK$3.08 million bill for the emergency demolition work, according to a High Court writ. The secretary for justice filed the lawsuit against Halesweet, the company the government claimed had failed to pay the sum despite repeated demands. The fatal accident happened at the 55-year-old building at 45J, Ma Tau Wai Road, Hung Hom on January 29, 2010. On the day of the accident, Chak... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1880318/hong-kong-government-calls-owners-collapsed-hung-hom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1880318/hong-kong-government-calls-owners-collapsed-hung-hom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2015 15:45:30 +0000 A Chinese-language newspaper was cleared of defaming the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association in an editorial after the Court of Appeal ruled the paper made its comments in the public interest. The Court of Appeal yesterday overturned a jury's verdict that found that Ming Pao had defamed Pui Kwan-kay by alleging that he was incapable of managing the association. READ MORE: Ming Pao Daily ordered to pay football boss damages for defamation  Appeal Court Vice-President Mr Justice... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879962/hong-kong-defamation-ruling-against-ming-pao-overturned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879962/hong-kong-defamation-ruling-against-ming-pao-overturned?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2015 16:00:00 +0000 An elderly man accused of murdering his wife in a dispute over money wept in court on Tuesday as he recalled how he attacked her. Describing the moment he realised that she was dead on her bed after he beat her with a hammer, Woo Kam-cheung, 77, said: "I felt very scared, I felt very upset, I felt very remorseful." Woo, who denies murder, told the High Court he married Lai Sau-fong, 76, in 1961 and they had enjoyed a harmonious relationship over the years. But on May 26 last year, he said a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879984/elderly-hong-kong-man-tells-court-his-remorse-after-killing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879984/elderly-hong-kong-man-tells-court-his-remorse-after-killing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:30:15 +0000 Prosecutors failed to prove a Guinean man, 26, had any sexual motivation to try to rape a 63-year-old woman during their encounter in Kowloon City, the defence counsel told jurors in the High Court yesterday, citing an example of assault instead. Ali Keita denies one count of attempted rape of the woman, named only as Madam X in court, in a back lane off Sung Wong Toi Road on January 9 last year. According to testimony given by a forensic pathologist, bruises found on Madam X's private parts... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879571/lack-proof-guinean-tried-rape-elderly-hong-kong-woman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879571/lack-proof-guinean-tried-rape-elderly-hong-kong-woman?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Nov 2015 16:00:15 +0000 An elderly woman who was bludgeoned to death during a fight with her husband may have been attacked when she was lying on the bed, the High Court heard yesterday. Lai Sau-fong, 76, was killed at her flat at Wang Tau Hom Estate, Wong Tai Sin on May 26 last year. Her husband Woo Kam-cheung, 77, denies one charge of murder. Government chemist Luk Duen-yee said: "Most of Lai's injuries were on the left side of her head [indicating] she defended herself against the attack with her head on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879576/woman-bludgeoned-death-banana-skin-fight-was-lying-bed-when?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1879576/woman-bludgeoned-death-banana-skin-fight-was-lying-bed-when?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Nov 2015 16:00:15 +0000 Former TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi-wan and his ex-assistant succeeded in delaying the consequences of three bribery charges this morning when a judge allowed them to take forward a bid to stay a Court of Appeal order that they be convicted and sentenced. Chan, 55, and Edthancy Tseng Pei-kun, 33, were summoned to court this morning following a ruling by the appeal court that the pair should be convicted of the charges, which allege they received a HK$112,000 payment from a third party... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878470/tvb-ex-manager-stephen-chan-has-decision-bribery-charges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878470/tvb-ex-manager-stephen-chan-has-decision-bribery-charges?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Nov 2015 07:00:00 +0000 A row about money in which an elderly couple threw banana skins at each other ended with the husband bludgeoning his wife to death with a hammer, the High Court heard yesterday. Woo Kam-cheung, 77, denies murdering Lai Sau-fong, 76, at their public housing flat on the Wang Tau Hom Estate, Wong Tai Sin, on May 26 last year. Woo's son, Wu Siu-ming, said his father confessed to him the next day in a park. "He said he had a quarrel with my mother the night before. My mother did not believe the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878288/hong-kong-man-77-killed-wife-hammer-dispute-over-monthly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878288/hong-kong-man-77-killed-wife-hammer-dispute-over-monthly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2015 16:00:00 +0000 A High Court judge ruled on Thursday that a freelance model stole a man's phone in a fit of temper on their first date when he refused to pay a HK$200,000 Chanel bill. Yuen Ching-ching, 23, claimed a 28-year-old cook named only as Lam had given her the phone and that she destroyed it and dumped it in the sea only after they parted. But Deputy Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong wrote: "She was angry with Lam for not paying the bill. She destroyed it and threw it into the sea to punish Lam." He found... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878271/hong-kong-model-stole-mans-phone-date-after-he-refused-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878271/hong-kong-model-stole-mans-phone-date-after-he-refused-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2015 14:30:15 +0000 Two Court of Appeal judges have blocked a bid to reduce the sentence handed to the captain who caused 39 deaths in the Lamma ferry tragedy in 2012, saying the court had a duty to remind those in charge of vehicles of their responsibilities to their passengers. Mr Justice Andrew Macrae and Mr Justice Ian McWalters upheld the decision of a judge in an earlier trial to jail Lai Sai-ming for eight years. Lai, 56, the captain of Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry’s Sea Smooth, had asked the court to reduce... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878118/captain-hong-kongs-lamma-ferry-tragedy-has-appeal-rejected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1878118/captain-hong-kongs-lamma-ferry-tragedy-has-appeal-rejected?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2015 04:00:00 +0000 Two men were jailed for eight years for taking part in a fight between rival Nepalese groups, which resulted in the death of a 19-year-old man, at the High Court on Wednesday. Magar Sagar, 23, and Gurung Roshan, 27, each pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter over the stabbing of Thapa Anup in 2012. Deputy Judge Michael Stuart-Moore said: "It was a brutal gang fight and a young life was needlessly lost." Prosecutor Diane Crebbin said the pair and the victim belonged to two rival Nepalese... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877898/two-jailed-over-brutal-hong-kong-gang-fight-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877898/two-jailed-over-brutal-hong-kong-gang-fight-death?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Nov 2015 16:01:05 +0000 The legal battle between two brothers over Hong Kong's famous Yung Kee roast goose restaurant took a dramatic twist yesterday when the city's top court gave the go-ahead for it to be wound up. But the five judges on the Court of Final Appeal delayed issuing a formal winding-up order to give both parties 28 days to discuss the possibility of one side buying out the other's shares. If a deal cannot be reached, the liquidator will put the Central restaurant - run by the Kam family that founded it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877760/court-gives-green-light-hong-kongs-iconic-yung-kee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877760/court-gives-green-light-hong-kongs-iconic-yung-kee?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Nov 2015 04:30:45 +0000 A man who stabbed a fellow villager to death in front of mahjong players while shouting "great fun" was jailed for life yesterday. Liu Sun-kong, 54, had chased Liu Wing-sang into a Sheung Shui Wai village store on May 23 last year and knifed him 27 times. A wound to the heart was the fatal blow, the High Court heard. The jury had retired on Monday and reached a majority verdict yesterday morning, after which Mr Justice Kevin Zervos sentenced Liu to the statutory term of life imprisonment. READ... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877613/hong-kong-villager-gets-life-fatal-knife-attack-mahjong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877613/hong-kong-villager-gets-life-fatal-knife-attack-mahjong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:01:36 +0000 A mother admitted arranging for her 13-year-old daughter to be an escort for the son of a wealthy man and suggested the girl have sex with the mother's boyfriend to gain sexual experience, the District Court heard yesterday. The 40-year-old mother pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to procure unlawful sex involving a girl under the age of 21, in December last year. But the mother's boyfriend Lee Ming-chun, 39, a private tutor, denied two charges of criminal intimidation and indecent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877646/hong-kong-court-hears-mum-tried-arrange-sex-daughter-13?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877646/hong-kong-court-hears-mum-tried-arrange-sex-daughter-13?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:00:45 +0000 A 25-year-old man from Guinea attempted to rape a much shorter and lighter 63-year-old woman when she was collecting cardboard in a local back lane, the High Court heard yesterday. Ali Keita denied one count of attempted rape in which he was accused of forcing himself on the alleged victim, who for legal reasons could only be identified as Madam X, on January 9 this year. In his opening statement, prosecutor Michael Arthur noted the physical contrast between Keita and Madam X. "At the time of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877220/man-accused-trying-rape-hong-kong-woman-she-collected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877220/man-accused-trying-rape-hong-kong-woman-she-collected?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Nov 2015 16:00:30 +0000 Six Occupy activists, including student leader Lester Shum, claimed the Department of Justice did not follow procedures in prosecuting them for contempt of court and called for their summonses to be discharged, the High Court heard yesterday. Barrister Gerard McCoy SC, representing all six, said the department failed to apply for a trial date within 14 days of the summonses being served, as stipulated by requirements. A total of 20 activists - also including student leader Joshua Wong Chi-fung... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877049/hong-kong-occupy-activists-claim-department-justice-did-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1877049/hong-kong-occupy-activists-claim-department-justice-did-not?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Nov 2015 08:30:30 +0000 Seventeen Occupy activists who were discharged from court for obstructing a clearance operation in Mong Kok two months ago will face a new trial after the Department of Justice filed fresh summonses against them. The 17 were acquitted on September 1 because of procedural errors committed by the department. At the time, a High Court judge ruled it had failed to comply with legal requirements and discharged everyone. However, the department lodged 17 fresh summonses with the court on Friday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1876650/17-occupy-activists-face-criminal-contempt-charges-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1876650/17-occupy-activists-face-criminal-contempt-charges-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Nov 2015 19:15:30 +0000