Inquest jury begins deliberations into Chow Tsz-lok death

Inquest jury starts deliberations today over whether a University of Science and Technology student’s fall from a Tseung Kwan O car park near the site of a protest two years ago was a homicide or an accident.

Chow Tsz-lok, 22, died of brain injuries four days after he fell from the third to the second level at Sheung Tak Estate car park in the small hours of November 4, 2019, while police clashed with protesters nearby.

Coroner Ko Wai-hung told the five-member jury that if they are to conclude Chow was unlawfully killed, the conclusion must be proved without reasonable doubt, while there was no other way to explain Chow’s fall.

The jury could, however, rule Chow plunged four meters to his death by accident, said Ko, if they found it was relatively likely based on the evidence submitted over the five-week inquest at the Coroner’s Court.

Only if they failed to arrive at one of those two conclusions should they consider delivering an open verdict, Ko added.