Gangster jailed for life over revenge murder of rival gang head in 2009

A 54-year-old gangster was sentenced on Wednesday to life imprisonment as a seven-strong High Court jury unanimously convicted him of murdering the head of a rival gang back in 2009. 

The jobless defendant Leung Kwok-lung was the head of triad society Wo Shing Wo. The charge alleges Leung of murdering 41-year-old Lee Tai-lung, head of Sun Yee On, alongside others in Hong Kong on August 4, 2009, and Leung pleaded not guilty. 

It is understood that the murder was a result of a previous encounter three years earlier in which Lee beat and injured Leung. 

After the jury, comprised of four men and three women, retired for deliberation for about two hours, they unanimously convicted Leung of murder. 

Judge Judianna Barnes said the jury’s verdict indicated that they accepted the testimony of a key immunized witness that Leung had taken part in planning the attack. She continued that society would not tolerate such crime and sentenced Leung to life imprisonment, saying such punishment was the only option. 

When guiding the jury before they retired from court, judge Barnes cited the testimony given by former Wo Shing Wo member and immunized witness Lam Ka-chun. 

Lam said he received a call and went to Lok Kwan Street Park to discuss a revenge plan against Lee with seven others including Leung, who had said: “Do not chop important body parts.” Three knife-men nodded and Lam was responsible for look-out. 

Summarizing the facts in this case, judge Barnes said the relevant footage shows that a group of people together planned on attacking Lee. After their seven-seater knocked down Lee outside Shangri-La Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui at the time, the culprits got out of their car to chop Lee and swiftly fled the scene in their runaway car. 

The DNA and the fingerprints in and around the car were later destroyed and Leung had an alibi claiming that he had legally departed Hong Kong a few days before the attack. Still, experts in triad society said members could always illegally enter and leave the city on the water. 

The judge reminded the jury that if they decide Leung’s alibi of not being in Hong Kong is fake, one of the prosecution’s reasonable deductions is that Leung secretly re-entered the city on the water to commit the crime and then illegally left. 

She also told the jury that they should only convict Leung of murder after considering if Leung has taken part in any of the planning to attack Lee and if he intentionally killed and grievously harmed him. 

Otherwise, they could convict Leung of the alternative charge of manslaughter, which could also lead to life imprisonment but not necessarily.