TNAG-1101-FCO40-1351-Legislation-on-homosexuality-in-Hong-Kong-including--Report--1981 — Page 287

- 2 -

298

Now that I have had the opportunity of examining the revolver, clothing worn by the deceased, his flat and the drawer unit, I wish to modify my original Opinion dated 5th August 1980 in respect of paragraph 8 on page 4c

I am of the opinion that the bullet which struck the drawer probably came through exit wound 3 not 2 as there is no hole in the sweater corresponding to exit wound 2.

Bearing in mind the angle of penetration of the drawer unit (not far off horizontal) one possible explanation of the sequence of events is that the deceased was kneeling near the foot of the bed, having removed his shoes, facing the wardrobe doors when he fired the shot labelled mumber 5 with the gun held right handed in a conventional manner, the bullet entering the left upper abdomen obliquely as evidenced by the oral entry wound and passing almost horizontally through the abdominal wall (there is only 1 inch difference in the heights of the entry and exit wounds) to lodge in the drawer unit. This wound would not have disabled him to any significant extent. He could then have stood up and turned round with his back to the airconditioning switch corner of the room and holding the revolver two handed against his chest, slightly crouching forward, fired the other four shots into his body. One of these (number 3) entering 48 inches above the heel and leaving as exit wound number 1, 47 inches above the heel, would, because of his slightly crouch- ing forward position (to keep the revolver firmly against his chest) leave the body in an upward direction and could have chipped the plaster 60 or 61 inches to the left of and above the airconditioning switch behind him.

By then loss of blood would probably have caused him to lose consciousness and he would have let the gun fall from his grip to land by his feet while he himself collapsed on his back on the floor in the position in which he was found dead.

I am aware that the above hypothesis must be speculative but it is not inconsistent with the findings at the flat as shown in the photographs and my own observations and with the pathological and ballistic evidence.

Hugh Robert Molesworth Johnson,

MA, MB, B Chir., FRC Path., DMJ,

Consultant Pathologist,

Reader in Forensic Medicine,

1

St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School, London SE1 7EH,

England.

HRMJ/1yl