TNAG-0486-FCO40-551-Review-of-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 150

sel

ANNCY A'S

Mr Stuart

HKK 14/16

Reference

FLAG G

FLAG H

ра

DEATH SENTENCE: LIU CHU

1. We spoke about this case which is a very bad one although I have my doubts that it is one of the worst.

2. Liu Chu robbed a woman of HK$50 in a lift at knife point. He left the building and the woman pointed him out to an elderly watchman who pursued him. The chase was joined by 2 younger men who were off-loading goods from a lorry in the street. All 3 pursued Liu through a bakery shop and up some stairs to the first floor of a block of flats. The watchman and one of the younger men were armed with iron bars. It appears that the 2 younger men were separated from the prisoner and the watchman and that a fight subsequently took place between the 2 on the first floor corridor and stairs. Before the fight took place Liu attempted to hide by entering one of the flats on the floor and was recognised by a witness who subsequently saw the fight. It is clear that a fight did take place between the 2 older men during which stabbing took place (although the witness could not identify who was doing the stabbing) and that the watchman died of stab wounds. This witness phoned the police.

ex

3. Liu Chu admits to the robbery but denies the murder on the grounds that he is falsely accused and wrongly convicted. In his testimony at the trial (pages 66-78) his defence appears to be a muddled version of provocation and self-defence. on page 83.

The judge's summing-up is

4. It is a bad case in that the watchman was doing his duty in trying to apprehend the thief and there is evidence by a that Liu Chu threatened to stab the watchman unless he left him alone. On the other hand he obviously would not have killed the watchman if the chase and subsequent fight had not taken place and he made several attempts to try and escape from the pursuers rather than attack them. He also did not stab the watchman with the knife which he was carrying and the murder weapon appears to have been a chisel-like object which was later found in the flat in which Liu was waiting for the police and which apparently did not belong to the flat owners or anyone else in the vicinity.

3 January 1974

P.M. Kelly

P M Kelly (Miss)

DD 145177 219242 500M 4/73 GM 3643/2

Page 150Page 151

GRPS 62

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 020502Z

CONFIDENTIAL