TNAG-0487-FCO40-552-Review-of-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 40

ANNEX ATO XCR(74) 115

Report to His Excellency the Governor in respect of Criminal Case No.3 of 1974, Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court.

His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong.

Your Excellency,

CHENG Wing-fei (aged 20)

I have the honour to report, pursuant to Clause XXXIV

of the Royal Instructions, that on 8th February 1974 the above-

named prisoner was convicted by the jury of the murder of

WONG Fat-nip alias WONG Wah. The prisoner also pleaded guilty

to one count of wounding one LAU Wal with intent to cause grievous

bodily harm and was unanimously found guilty by the jury of

another count of wounding one YUNG Chi-sheung with intent to

cause grievous bodily harm. I accordingly sentenced the prisoner

to death for the offence of murder and respited sentences for

the two counts of wounding.

The incident arose out of the detention of a prostitute

HO Shuet-fong by members of a call-girl establishment which

carried on business at 20 Yen Chow Street, 9th floor, Kowloon.

At about 11 p.m. on 28th February 1973, a party of some seven

O eight men, all armed with knives, arrived at the said premises.

The party consisted of one HO So-kuen, the man with whom the

detained prostitute was then cohabiting and also the prisoner.

These men entered the premises by a ruse, which need not be

described here. On entry they chopped and stabbed the male

occupants on sight (namely, WONG Fat-nip, LAU Wah and YUNG Chi-sheung)

but spared the three women there. Wong and Lau were watching

television at the time and Yung was asleep in a bedroom. None

of the victims were armed. The three male victims were therefore

taken completely by surprise.