ANNEX C TO XCR(74)203
NOTE BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
CHARGE AND CONVICTION.
LAU Ming-chiu (who was 21 years
of age at the time of the offence) was charged with the murder
on 24th August, 1973 of YEUNG Kau-mui. He was convicted on 3rd
June 1974 and his appeal to the Full Court was dismissed on
Another person, TANG Shek-chu, was charged
19th August, 1974.
jointly with LAU.
2.
FACTS.
He was convicted of manslaughter.
At about 2 a.m. on 24th August, 1973, a man came to the
door of an apartment house in Kowloon. The apartment was managed
by a Mr. CHEUNG and the deceased, who was his wife.
3.
The visitor pretended to be seeking accommodation in
the apartment, but when he had induced Mr. CHEUNG to open the
doors (including an iron grille), he produced a knife and called
out to another person, who was waiting further down a staircase,
to come up.
4.
On hearing this, Mr. CHEUNG pushed the man out into
the staircase area and shouted "Robbery". As he pushed the man,
Mr. CHEUNG himself fell over and was somewhat dazed. From where
he fell, he saw his wife (who was nearby, naving originally been
going to answer the door), coming out. She was attacked by the
first of the two men with a knife. A single blow was struck and
she fell down. Mr. CHEUNG went to help her and was himself
attacked. He was stabbed once in the stomach. Both intruders
Mr. CHEUNG was not able to identify either of
then ran away.
them.
5.
:
LAU was arrested, on 29th August and immediately answered
questions put to him by a police officer, and then made a state-
ment in which he admitted going to the apartment to rob. He
said that a struggle had taken place and that "the proprietor
and another" had been stabbed. LAU said that he stabbed the