Hong Kong man blames mental illness for stabbing elderly father to death
Lee Man-lok pleaded guilty at the High Court on Thursday to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility for fatally assaulting Lee Hok-choi, 78, on October 11, 2021.
Prosecutors agreed to reduce the original murder charge after three psychiatrists concluded the defendant's ability to form rational judgment and exercise self-control was substantially impaired by schizophrenia.
Asked whether he agreed with the prosecution's summary of the case, the defendant confirmed that he did but said: 'Because this is due to my mental illness [prompting me to] kill my father, I think this is not my fault.'
Mr Justice Anthony Kwok Kai-on said he considered the remark a plea for mitigation and urged the defendant to leave any submission in court to his lawyers.
The court heard that at the time of the offence, the accused was staying at a rehabilitation hostel in Nam Cheong following his release from a psychiatric hospital, while his family had lived in Kwai Chung's Yin Lai Court for around 30 years.
The father's neighbour alerted police after hearing screams for help from his flat at around 4.40pm that day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Retired Hong Kong social worker given community service for defrauding authorities
A retired Hong Kong social worker behind a dropped legal challenge arising from the San Tin Technopole project has been sentenced to community service for defrauding authorities out of HK$16,780 (US$2,138) in welfare benefits. Advertisement Eastern Court on Thursday adopted a probation officer's recommendation to sentence Eddie Tse Sai-kit to 120 hours of unpaid community work after his lawyer said he 'recklessly' understated his earnings to obtain four months' worth of old age living allowances last year. A presentencing report cited the 68-year-old defendant as saying he had mistakenly believed that he only needed to report his average monthly income over the year in his application to the Social Welfare Department. Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai at one point questioned whether the court should accept the 68-year-old defendant's earlier guilty plea , before finding that his failure to make an accurate declaration went beyond mere negligence and deserved criminal sanction. Cheung also noted that Tse had admitted wrongdoing at the first opportunity and was remorseful. Advertisement Tse was arrested early this year while he was challenging an environmental impact assessment report that endorsed the development of a technology hub near the mainland Chinese border
The Standard
3 hours ago
- The Standard
High Court backs transgender person's right to use public toilets that match chosen gender identity
A security guard stands outside of Hong Kong's High Court in Admiralty, Hong Kong Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hongkonger suffers knife wounds in alleged bar fight involving 10 people
A man has been taken to hospital with knife wounds after a brawl involving 10 people outside a bar in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui. Police received a report of the dispute near Energy Plaza at 92 Granville Road at 3.50am on Thursday. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the man had sustained cuts on his arm, with paramedics transporting him to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The force said the dispute allegedly began with a verbal argument inside the bar before it escalated into a physical confrontation. A knife was later found outside the establishment. The case has been classified as wounding. Investigations into the cause of the incident are under way.
