Two plead guilty to damaging rock singer's grave

Stacy Shi

A 15-year-old boy and a 23-year-old man pleaded guilty to criminal damage at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts for vandalizing the gravestone of Wong Ka-kui - the lead vocalist of the local rock band Beyond - last month.

Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak adjourned the case to July 16 for sentencing, pending a series of reports for the duo, while the two would remain in custody.

According to the court, the 15-year-old unnamed student admitted under police caution that he vandalized the gravestone to gain public attention, and claimed he was a fan of Wong.

The student approached Yip Tsz-to, a 23-year-old air-conditioning technician, and asked him to assist in filming the vandalism.

Yip admitted to filming as requested by the teenager.

On May 19, the duo went to the Tseung Kwan O Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery, armed with an iron hammer and marker pens.

Video clips published online show the teenager splashing soft drinks onto the tombstone, as well as pouring the drinks on himself while singing, writing and drawing random patterns with a black marker on Wong's photo and guitar, and slamming Wong's photo with an iron hammer.

The footage also displays the teenager writing "Bald Bob," "Social Destroyer," and "Successor of Carriage Lau" in Chinese on the gravestone.

The defense argued that the student has been suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and was unpopular in school.

He learned to make videos after meeting the infamous YouTuber Lau Chun-hin, also known as "Carriage Lau," and filmed the vandalism to gain more attention and satisfy his followers.

As for Yip, the defense argued he was not the lead person in the case, but So opined that Yip did not prevent the student from destroying the gravestone or quit, and considered the two as being equally culpable.

Sentencing was adjourned to July 16 to obtain rehabilitative, correctional and psychological reports for the teenager, as well as a rehabilitation report for Yip.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com