Suspect in Diamond Hill murders sent to psych center

A 39-year-old man who allegedly murdered two women at Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill on Friday has been remanded in Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre after appearing in Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts yesterday.

Szeto Sing-kwong, wearing a dark green T-shirt, camouflage shorts and a pair of slippers, looked calm but occasionally took deep breaths and kept a clenched fist.

Acting principal magistrate Cheang Kei-hong adjourned the hearing to June 19 pending two psychiatrists' reports to see whether Szeto is suitable to plead.

Heavily armed police officers guarded the court building as Szeto was escorted into it.

The jobless man was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of 26-year-old Fong Hiu-tong and her friend 22-year-old Lau Kai-hei outside shops 309 and 310 on the third floor of Hollywood Plaza in Diamond Hill on Friday.

Family members of Fong and Lau were seen at Fu Shan Public Mortuary yesterday.

The Equal Opportunities Commission warned against people labeling mentally ill patients on the internet after the alleged murder. Speaking on a radio program, Ferrick Chu Chung-man, the commission's executive director (operations), said the public should not stigmatize mental illness, which does not necessarily lead to violence.

He said environmental factors play a huge part in an individual's mental state and that people should help patients integrate into society.

"Research found that the environmental factors are more important," Chu said. "These include their living conditions, whether they [are using drugs] and their current social status and if they are willing to attend follow-up consultation."

He reminded individuals they may violate the city's four anti-discrimination ordinances on sex, disability, family status and race if they encourage others to discriminate against psychiatric patients.

His views were echoed on the same program by Eric Chen Yu-hai, chair professor in the University of Hong Kong's psychiatry department, who said the tragedy appears to be an isolated case.

He noted that sometimes government clinics may not have sufficient resources to flag problematic patients.

It was understood that the suspect, Szeto, has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Chen said those who suffer from it may have symptoms such as delusions and wrongly thinking other people intend to harm them.

He said there may be 10,000 people suffering from schizophrenia in Hong Kong and that most psychiatric patients do not have a tendency to be violent.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com