Hong Kong man pleads guilty to attempted murder of father during suicide bid

A Hong Kong warehouse worker has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his 90-year-old father after burning charcoal at their home in a bid to take both their lives two years ago.

The High Court on Friday heard how Au Chi-ming, 53, tried to die together with his bedridden father in August 2023 after accumulating more than HK$250,000 (US$32,100) in credit card debt and failing to pay their rent for three months.

The court was also told that Au had lived with his father, elder sister and niece in a flat in Sha Tin’s Chek Nai Ping village. He was the sole carer for his physically disabled father, whose health deteriorated sharply after a fall in 2022.

The defendant used to settle the flat’s monthly rent and utility bills, but he was no longer able to make ends meet after being declared bankrupt.

Au started contemplating suicide in July 2023 and decided to burn charcoal, having learned of the method from the news.

His father, Au Pong-keung, had also told the accused that he did not want to live long, but he had not been told about the suicide attempt in the early hours of August 4.