Inspector tells of clues over Chan body find

A marine police inspector said he could not determine whether Chan Yin-lam's death was suspicious when her naked body was first retrieved from the sea.

Man Wai-cheung yesterday told coroner Ko Wai-hung and the five-strong jury that the 15-year-old's body was found floating at sea, prompting him to think her death was suspicious despite uncertainty created by a lack of any fatal injuries.

He added that Chan's body was slightly bloated, with bulging eyes and swollen lips. Apart from a 10-centimeter scratch on her right inner thigh, Man did not see other injuries on her body.

Man sought assistance from the criminal unit as due to an absence of head or throat injuries, he could not determine whether Chan was poisoned without doing chemical tests on the body.

Police subsequently searched the waters near where the body was found but returned without any findings.

The jury asked whether Chan's clothes could have washed away as she floated, with Man replying that it was possible as summer clothes are lighter.

Regarding Chan's thigh injury, he said it was not caused by the body's retrieval, but added it could have been a scratch from rocks in the sea.

Police officer Chan Kwok-wing, who was at the marine harbor division, received a report of a suspected body on September 22.

Police arrived at waters off Devil's Peak at 11.30am on that day, with Chan Kwok-wing driving the police launch to the site.

Due to the discoloration of the body's face, he initially mistook Chan for a 20 to 30-year-old woman.

The teen's body was sent to marine regional headquarters in Sai Wan Ho, where her death was confirmed.

Chan Kwok-wing said inspector Man checked the body again and believed her death was suspicious.

Officers then searched the nearby waters but did not find any clothes, he said.

The man who first discovered Chan's body, Lau Yin-kai, said he went fishing with his son on September 22 at 10am near Devil's Peak.

Lau described seeing someone floating in the water 40 to 60 meters from their boat, but initially believed it was an old man out swimming.

When the person floated within 10 meters of their boat, Lau tried to warn the person away from the oars, before realizing it was a body and calling the police.

He said the body had a foot length of hair and was facing upward with the left hand placed on the stomach.

Forensic toxicologist Hong Yau-hin told the court he had concluded that Chan had not taken any medicine or drug in the days before she died.

A Hong Kong Design Institute student, Chan Ka-chun, told the coroner he saw a girl walking barefoot at the Tiu Keng Leng MTR station on September 19 at 7.20pm and that she appeared to be looking for someone.

The inquest continues today.