Construction worker defending father jailed 2.5 years for fatal push

A 33-year-old construction worker, Cheung Hing-lok, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a tragic incident that arose when he intervened in a dispute involving his father.

During an argument between his father and another man, Cheung pushed a 59-year-old retired worker who had stepped in to mediate. The victim fell backward, struck the back of his head on the ground, and lost consciousness. Witnesses said he lay motionless, foaming at the mouth, with visible bleeding near his left ear.

The victim was rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries two days later. Cheung turned himself in at the Wong Tai Sin Police Station later that morning.

In a mitigation letter, Cheung expressed remorse and said he was willing to accept responsibility. He noted that his father died while he was in custody, allowing him to understand the pain of loss. He apologized to the victim’s family, and his former employer expressed willingness to rehire him after his release.

Judge William Tam Yiu-ho described the case as a tragedy and accepted that Cheung had no intention to kill. However, he stressed that the “unfortunate single blow” had resulted in a fatality.

In light of the defendant’s prior convictions for robbery, drug possession, and careless driving, Judge Tam adopted a starting point of four years’ imprisonment, later reducing the sentence to two and a half years due to Cheung’s guilty plea and other mitigating circumstances.