Noise feud ends in deadly quiet

A running battle of nerves over noise ended with a 66-year-old man chopping a 85-year-old woman living one floor above him to death before he hung himself to death in a Tsz Wan Shan public rental housing estate, police said.

Initial investigations found the two, who officers said had no record of mental illness, had filed a total of 10 noise complaints against each other.

Officers were alerted over the incident at nearly 4 pm Wednesday when a security guard at Ching Yuk House in Tsz Ching Estate found the woman, Tam, unconscious outside a flat with chop wounds to her head and neck.

Police seized an axe suspected to be connected to the case in the corridor. Tam was taken to Kwong Wah Hospital where she was declared dead at 4.46 pm.

Six lacerations, each measuring 10 centimeters, were found on her head and three on her neck.

The complaints by her and the man, Chow, had all been lodged this year, with Tam also complaining to the building's management office about being harassed by Chow just before the incident.

Officers went to Chow's flat at 5.30 pm but found him hanging inside from a power extension cord. He was also taken to Kwong Wah Hospital and declared dead at 6.42 pm.

Assistant district commander Lau Ka-ho yesterday said the two deceased both lived alone.

"It was found that both deceased had previously complained to the security guard of the building about the noise made by each other, and the security guard had also taken follow-up actions," Lau said.

"However, at present, we are still unable to confirm with certainty whether the deaths of the two are related to the complaints."

It is understood Chow complained about noise coming from Tam's flat, with the man also said to have retaliated by banging on the ceiling.

There were no signs of fighting at the scene, and no property loss was involved in the case, Lau said.

Lau said the incident was being dealt with as a murder-suicide by officers from the Wong Tai Sin crime squad.

He also called on people with information to contact the police.

A neighbor of Chow, Lau, said she had been woken up by noises coming from upstairs at night, and her husband also had complained to the security guard.