Murder accused wanted revenge on girl’s mother, Hong Kong court hears

A Hong Kong man accused of murdering his three-year-old daughter sought to exact revenge on the mother by threatening to have her arrested after he was jailed for splashing her with a corrosive liquid, a court has heard.

Prosecutors told a High Court jury on Friday that defendant Lau Kai-ping and Helen Leung, his former partner and mother of Leung Nga-sze, had a huge fight that resulted in police being called.

The incident took place just 11 days before the girl was discovered unresponsive at a flat in Sham Shui Po on July 18, 2020. She was pronounced dead on July 29 and is believed to have died from shaken baby syndrome.

The court previously heard that the defendant had allegedly abused the girl more than 20 times between May and July of that year, such as holding her upside down so her head struck the floor and dousing her with cold water in the shower.

Helen Leung took the witness box on Friday, saying she had lost her temper on July 7, 2020, and slapped her daughter across the mouth twice when the girl accused her of having an affair. The mother said the claim had come from the defendant.

The witness said Lau had threatened to report the incident to police.