Woman jailed for 18 months for aiding ex-boyfriend’s police hit-and-run cover-up

A woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday for conspiring to assist her ex-boyfriend in covering up a hit-and-run incident where he struck a police officer.

The 32-year-old defendant, Lam Shuk-fong, unemployed, faced one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The charge stated that Lam helped remove fingerprints and personal items from the vehicle after her then-boyfriend, Yuen, struck the officer while fleeing police in Tai Po on September 3, 2022.

At the District Court this morning, District Court Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching described Lam's role as indispensable, rejecting claims of passivity despite the plan's failure.

In a plea for leniency, the defense highlighted Lam's difficult situation as a single mother of two daughters on social security with a Form Three education, raising concerns about the long-term impact her imprisonment would have on her children.

Acknowledging Lam’s family situation, Tse stated Lam’s children were healthy and had family support for care. 

She further rejected the defense’s arguments of the defendant's naivete in the crime, citing her work experience and maturity as a mother.

Tse highlighted Lam's lack of remorse, including false trial testimony, and her maturity, imposing the 18-month term.

Yuen, Lam's boyfriend at the time of the offense, has previously been convicted and sentenced to a total of 43 months for charges that included dangerous driving, perverting the course of justice, and drug possession.