Abby Choi murder trial opens over flat dispute
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s High Court has begun hearing the murder trial over the killing of model and socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung, whose death in February 2023 shocked the city and drew international attention. Prosecutors allege the case grew out of a bitter family dispute over the proposed sale of a HK$72 million flat, while Choi’s mother told the court that relations with her daughter’s former in-laws had badly deteriorated. The trial started after a one-week delay caused by unresolved preliminary issues and jury selection.
Key Points
- Prosecutors allege retired police sergeant Kwong Kau, 68, and his sons Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 31, and Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 35, murdered Abby Choi.
- All three defendants pleaded not guilty to murder, while Kwong Kau also denied preventing the lawful burial of Choi’s body.
- Alex Kwong Kong-chi and Anthony Kwong Kong-kit pleaded guilty before trial to preventing the lawful burial of Choi’s body.
- Choi’s mother, Cheung Yin-fa, said the former in-laws lived in luxury yet did not contribute to raising Choi’s two children.
- Police found some dismembered remains on February 24, 2023, in a 600 square foot Lung Mei Village flat in Tai Po.
Why It Matters
The trial is revisiting one of Hong Kong’s most disturbing recent homicide cases, with courtroom evidence focusing on money, property and family dependency. For local readers, the proceedings also show how a private dispute over assets can become central to a major criminal prosecution.