TNAG-0488-FCO40-553-Review-of-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 121

ANNEX C TO XCR (74)132

NOTE BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

CHARGE AND CONVICTION.

LEUNG Wang (who was 20 years of age at the time of

the offence) was charged with the murder of LAU Wa on 19th July

1973. He was convicted on 9th January 1974. His appeal to the

Full Court was dismissed on 8th March 1974.

20

FACTS.

At about 3 a.m. on 19th July 1973, three employees

and the manager of an apartment house in Leighton Road were on

The apartment house had just closed for business

the premises.

for the night.

The deceased was the manager. There were also

two guests in one of the rooms.

3.

Two of the employees and the deceased were in one of

the rooms. One was sitting on a sofa and the other resting on

the bed. The deceased was in the bathroom. One of the employees

saw two men entering the apartment house from the street.

mhey

asked for "old man LAU", and it appears that someone with that

nickname had lived in the apartment house some months before. fore

When the two intruders were told this, one of them produced a

knife and said "This is à robbery". At this point, some 6 or 7

other men rushed in. All were armed with knives. The gang then

began an assault with the knives on the three employees. One

of the gang kicked at the bathroom door and the deceased put his

head out of the bathroom and was struck with the knife. He

thén retreated into the bathroom and closed the door. The

evidence as to the course of the next events was somewhat confused.

One witness describes the members of the gang as being "like a

wheel turning" some coming into the room and some going out.

It appears that one of the gang went into the bathroom and

attacked the deceased there.

Then, at one brief stage, all the