Abby Choi's mother refutes defense claims that ex-husband was submissive, describing him as a sweet-talking flatterer

The murder trial surrounding the 2023 dismemberment of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung continued with dramatic testimony from her mother, who rejected defense attempts to paint Choi's ex-husband as a mild-mannered partner, instead characterizing him as a highly persuasive flatterer who took advantage of her daughter's generosity.

A transition from family affection to ultimate betrayal

Testifying during cross-examination by Andrew Raffell, the defense counsel representing Choi's ex-husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, Choi's mother, Cheung Yin-fa, detailed her early relationship with the defendant. 

She recalled first meeting Kwong around 2008 when he was a teenager and a classmate of Choi, frequently joining the family for meals. 

Over time, Cheung grew to view Kwong as a surrogate son, eventually agreeing to let him move into their home after learning that he and Choi were dating and expecting a child.

Cheung recounted how Kwong actively sought the family's favor in his youth, going so far as to learn Hainanese to better communicate with Choi and her mother. She described him as someone who was exceptionally sweet-talked and knew how to flatter others to get what he wanted. 

Under questioning about why she now refers to him as a beast despite their previous closeness, Cheung clarified that her current view of him only formed after the horrific events of her daughter's death, noting that prior to the murder, the family had peacefully supported Kwong despite his lack of financial contribution.

Clashing portraits of the couple's personalities

The defense presented a starkly different narrative of the relationship dynamics, suggesting to the jury that Kwong was a submissive and communication-focused individual, while painting Choi as the dominant and strong-willed partner in the relationship. 

Raffell pointed to heated WeChat voice recordings to support his characterization of Choi's assertive nature.

Cheung strongly rejected this depiction of her daughter, describing Choi as a gentle, filial, and deeply compassionate person who always tried to accommodate others. She explained to the court that the rare instance of anger captured in the voice recordings was the direct result of Choi being pushed to her absolute limit by the relentless actions of Kwong's family. 

Cheung testified that she had never seen her daughter so angry before, noting that Choi normally spoke with a soft and quiet demeanor.

Procedures and legal representation

The defense also raised questions regarding Cheung’s interaction with the police. They pointed out that although the judge had explicitly instructed witnesses not to discuss the case with anyone during the trial, Cheung had communicated with an investigating officer the night before her appearance.

Cheung responded that she was merely complying with a police request to provide the address of a property in Whampoa Garden, confirming that she was fully cooperating with the authorities.

The high-profile trial is being conducted in English before Deputy High Court Judge Brian Keith. 

The prosecution is led by external Senior Counsel Charlotte Draycott, along with Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Gary Leung Yuk-hang, and government prosecutors. Kwong's brother, Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, is represented by Trevor Beel; his father, Kwong Kau, is represented by Oliver Davies; and Alex Kwong is represented by Andrew Raffell.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering the 28-year-old socialite at a village house in Lung Mei, Tai Po, in February 2023. While Alex and Anthony Kwong have pleaded guilty to the charge of preventing a lawful burial, their father, Kwong Kau, maintains his innocence on both charges.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓