ANNEXTO XCR(74) 79.
( XENNY
For Executive Council
Condemned Prisoners: WAN Mui-mui
CHAU Cheuk-yin
LAI Fai & LIU Sim-shun
Report by Home Affairs Department
Enquiries have been made by the staff of the City District Offices in Western, Wan Chai and Kwun Tong where the nearest relatives of the prisoners live. The victim has no relatives in Hong Kong.
2.
There does not seem to be much public interest in this case, which happened in May 1972. The unanimous opinion of local leaders consulted, particularly those who participated in the Fight Violent Crime Campaign, was that death sentences should be carried out as a deterrent to crimes of violence.
3.
Apart from the above general remarks, the enquiries made by the City District Offices among the relatives of the prisoners have produced very little useful comments. However, Mr. LIU To-sun, father of prisoner LIU Sim-shun felt that there were the following justifications for commutating the death sentence of his son:
(a) The victim's own conduct was deplorable as he had a criminal
record with seven previous convictions. The prisoner might have been a victim of circumstances.
(b) The prisoner's behaviour had been good until recently, when
he got mixed up with bad company. He had no previous criminal record whatsoever. Being so young (22 years old), he should be given a chance to turn over a new leaf.
(c) The prisoner was only an accomplice, who might not have
struck the fatal blow, and two other persons involved are still at large.
19th November, 1973
&
(Y.T. Lin)
for Director of Home Affairs