Bail rejected for tomb-shame teen

Wallis Wang

A 15-year-old boy who allegedly vandalized the gravestone of the late lead vocalist Wong Ka-kui in local rock band Beyond had his bail request rejected, with the judge remanding him in a juvenile home yesterday.

The student and his co-defendant, 23-year-old air-conditioning mechanic Yip Tsz-to, were charged with criminal damage for vandalizing Wong's gravestone at Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery on Sunday with intent to damage the property.

They were brought to the Kwun Tong courts before acting principal magistrate Winnie Lau Yee-wan.

The duo appeared calm during the court hearing and said they understood the charge. No plea was taken.

Lau rejected the bail application of the 15-year-old student and remanded him to the Tuen Mun Children and Juvenile Home.

However, Yip was granted HK$5,000 cash bail and was banned from leaving the city. He has to report to the police twice a week.

Yip was also ordered to surrender all of his travel documents and live at his reported address.

He was banned from visiting the crime scene again or contacting prosecution witnesses.

The case was adjourned to June 25 for the next hearing as the defense said it needed time to provide legal advice to the defendants.

The court yesterday adopted a special arrangement, by requiring the public to collect a ticket first before being allowed to attend the hearing.

Wong was the lead vocalist of the local rock band Beyond, which was formed in 1983 and became prominent in both Hong Kong and overseas.

However, Wong fell off a narrow and slippery stage during a live television game show in Japan in 1993 and sustained serious head injuries, eventually falling into a coma.

He was pronounced dead at the age of 31 six days later at the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital.

The remaining three members of the band continued to perform after Wong's death, but broke up in 2005.

The desecration of the grave sparked fury among Wong's former bandmates, including bassist and younger brother, Wong Ka-keung.

"This is how low morality has sunk. What can you get from damaging other people's graves?" he said.

Fans also got emotional and wept at the grave after the desecration.