Defence questions evidence handling in Abby Choi murder trial
On the 25th day of the murder trial for model Abby Choi, the defence questioned whether evidence from a Lung Mei Village flat was contaminated before the scene was sealed, raising doubts about police procedures.
The High Court on Wednesday heard the defence question whether evidence at the Lung Mei Village flat linked to the killing of model Abby Choi Tin-fung could have been contaminated before the scene was cordoned off. The issue arose on the 25th day of the murder trial as Chan Wai-hung, a senior police detective involved in the investigation, continued his testimony.
Barrister Trevor Beel, representing Choi’s former brother-in-law Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, suggested that Chan was not the only officer who searched the flat during the initial police entry and noted that a supervising officer later ordered everyone out after body parts were discovered to prevent further contamination of the scene. Chan rejected the suggestion, saying he had been instructed to conduct the search alone while other officers observed, a procedure intended to avoid repeated handling of potential evidence.
He said the decision to seal off the flat was made after he reported the discovery inside a refrigerator and the premises were treated as a suspected murder scene. Asked why he had not worn a full protective suit during the initial entry, Chan said he and the other officers had put on gloves, masks and shoe covers before entering. He also confirmed that officers wore gloves each time they entered the flat, including when handling the door, saying this was standard practice for detectives.
Beel also questioned whether items found on the living room floor had been moved so they could be photographed together. Chan denied this, saying items including plastic wrap and black tape were photographed before being placed separately into evidence bags. He also rejected the suggestion that a hammer seized from the Tai Po premises could not have been connected to an assault because no blood, flesh or bone was found on it. Chan said the absence of blood did not necessarily mean the hammer had not been involved in an offense, adding that it was sealed in an evidence bag after being seized.
Alex Kwong Kong-chi, his brother Anthony Kwong and their father Kwong Kau are jointly charged with murdering Choi. All three have pleaded not guilty to murder. The two brothers have pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of Choi’s body, while Kwong Kau has denied the charge.
