Hong Kong father accused of killing daughter had history of violence, court hears

A Hong Kong man accused of killing his three-year-old daughter by shaking her to death had a history of domestic violence and made her kneel as a punishment for not learning enough English vocabulary, a court has heard.

Testifying at the High Court on Tuesday, Helen Leung, the mother of deceased Leung Nga-sze, said defendant Lau Kai-ping, 42, was harsh when educating their daughter.

“The accused would make our daughter learn more English vocabulary or force her to sing more English songs. She would sometimes refuse and cry,” Leung, 41, said before Madam Justice Anna Lai Yuen-kee.

“If she refused again, [Lau] would scold her and make her stand facing the wall. Once, he made her kneel in front of the altar.”

Lau, Leung and their daughter lived with Lau’s parents for a month when she was around 2 ½ years old.

While her grandparents doted on her, Leung said the couple would fight over Lau’s disciplinary methods.