HKSAR v. LAU YUK SING

 DCCC386/2010

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE

HONG KONGSPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

CRIMINAL CASE NO. 386 OF 2010

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Reasons for Sentence

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1.  Defendant, you have pleaded guilty to three separate charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, contrary to section 17(1)(a) of the Offences Against the Persons Ordinance, Chapter 212, Laws of Hong Kong. The Summary of Facts that you have agreed explain that on the evening in question, which is the evening of 5 August 2009, the three victims of this case were on night duty working as security guards at No. 1 Caldecott Road, Cheung Sha Wan. You were their supervisor.

2.  Whilst the three victims were manning their stations in the early hours of the 6th at various locations in the development, PW1 in the control room, PW2 at the ground-floor lobby of Tower 2 and PW3 in the ground-floor lobby of Tower 3, you went on the rampage and set about each of them with a crowbar by delivering multiple blows to their heads, causing serious injuries to each of the victims who required hospitalisation.

3.  I have read the updated medical reports on the three victims, who despite their ordeal, fortunately, have suffered no lasting permanent effects save that PW3 still suffers from post‑concussion syndrome manifesting itself by headaches and poor memory. It was you who telephoned the police at around 3.30 am and told them of your location and that you had been involved in this wounding case. When the police arrived, they found you under a footbridge with serious injuries.

4.  You are 56 years of age, single and effectively of previous good character. According to the psychiatric reports that I have obtained on you, you had been suffering from a mild form of depression prior to the incident. You felt a sense of resentment towards your colleagues and, evidently, had minor disputes with them.

5.  With regard to the offences, all three were cowardly and quite unprovoked. The injuries you caused to the three victims, although serious, could have been much worse. There is simply no excuse for this sort of wicked behaviour. By your actions, you put in jeopardy the lives of your own work colleagues who were utterly defenceless to your brutal attack.

6.  In relation to all three charges, I adopt a starting point of 5 and a half years’ imprisonment. I will discount this sentence by one-third to reflect the plea of guilty, coming to 3 years and 8 months’ imprisonment on each charge. Due to the question of totality of sentence, I order the sentences to run concurrently with each other. You will go to prison for 3 years and 8 months in all.