Unemployed man sentenced to life for fatally assaulting elderly man in Sham Shui Po

A 50-year-old unemployed man was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday (Jan 29) after being found guilty of fatally assaulting an elderly man in Sham Shui Po in 2021. The jury convicted the suspect of murder following a trial.

The attack occurred on December 4, 2021, outside the Hong Kong Institute of Technology on Nam Cheong Street. CCTV footage showed the suspect repeatedly punching and kicking the man after he fell. The victim was hospitalized for four months and died in April 2022 at the age of 70.

High Court Judge Amanda Jane Woodcock described the suspect’s actions as “extremely cruel and violent.” She noted he had multiple past convictions, including assault and drug offenses, and highlighted his history of repeated violent behavior.

The judge said the suspect targeted a physically weak man and continued to kick and stomp him after he collapsed. The attack, captured on CCTV, was described in court as horrifying. She called the case a tragedy and ruled that life imprisonment was warranted.

The court also acknowledged two eyewitnesses who attempted to stop the assault and later called the police. After being arrested, the suspect told police he had been depressed for four to five years. Although he did not know the victim, he said he was verbally insulted before the attack, which provoked him to act. The assault caused severe injuries to the victim’s internal organs and chest, which eventually led to his death.