A self-styled Taoist priest has secured permission to lodge an appeal against his murder conviction over the death of a mentally incapacitated woman following a series of “exorcism” rituals at a Hong Kong village house six years ago.
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The Court of Appeal agreed to examine Dunsany Cheung Chi-choi’s conviction on a technical issue arising from the trial judge’s direction to the jury, which later unanimously found him guilty of murder, a charge that carries a mandatory life sentence.
The court also agreed to hear arguments over the 10-year term given to Cheung for molesting the victim, Ng Yan-yu, during one of the purported rituals at a three-storey house in Sai Kung before her death on September 2, 2019.
Ng’s mother, Ng Ma Yu-kang, was barred from appealing against her conviction for aiding and abetting the sexual assault of her daughter, but was allowed to seek a shorter term than the 10 years slapped on her.
Last year’s trial heard that Cheung, a trained Chinese medicine practitioner, began attacking the 21-year-old victim in February or March of 2018 to drive out what he claimed were evil spirits possessing her.
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The 55-year-old defendant battered the young woman using an umbrella, mosquito racquets and slippers, leaving bruises and wounds all over her body.