HONG KONG, Oct 21 — The former father-in-law of murdered Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi bought a meat mincer just 13 days before her death — and even enquired about a bone-crushing machine before deciding its HK$35,000 (RM18,200) price tag was too steep, a court has heard.
In chilling testimony at the Hong Kong High Court yesterday, a kitchenware shop assistant described how Kwong Kau, 68, selected a more expensive meat mincer capable of grinding meat more finely, along with an assortment of oversized cooking equipment.
The purchases were made on February 8, 2023, less than two weeks before Choi, a 28-year-old model and influencer, was allegedly murdered and dismembered in a case that horrified Hong Kong.
Kwong is standing trial alongside his sons, Choi’s former husband Alex Kwong, 31, and former brother-in-law Anthony Kwong, 35, over her killing.
According to The Straits Times, the shop assistant, who testified anonymously, told the court that a white-haired man entered the shop at around noon on February 8.
CCTV footage confirmed the customer was Kwong Kau.
After examining several meat mincers, he chose a pricier model that could supposedly produce a finer mince.
He also bought a large soup pot measuring 14 inches by 14 inches, a 15-inch chopping board and an 11-inch ladle.
The bill came to HK$9,153, reduced to HK$8,700 after a discount.
The assistant explained that the shop primarily supplied restaurants and catering businesses, accounting for the unusually large equipment.
Then came an even more unsettling enquiry.
After a younger man arrived, Kwong asked whether the shop sold a machine capable of crushing bones.
But when told it cost approximately HK$35,000, the two men decided it was too expensive and left without buying one.
The testimony came on the 19th day of the trial into Choi’s death.
Her dismembered remains were discovered at a Hong Kong village house on February 24, 2023, three days after prosecutors allege she was murdered.
The three defendants are charged with murder and preventing the lawful burial of her body. All three deny murder, while Alex and Anthony have pleaded guilty to preventing lawful burial.
The court also heard claims about Choi’s apparent financial difficulties from her former chauffeur, Chin Kei Shun, who said the socialite’s spending habits had changed in the months before her death.
Chin, hired in May 2021 on a monthly salary of HK$20,000, said Choi previously carried large amounts of cash but later occasionally asked him to pay for shopping purchases before reimbursing him.
He also recalled an incident in February 2022 when two or three men were seen lingering outside Choi’s home, prompting her to hide inside his vehicle as he drove into the compound.
Chin linked the incident to gambling debts allegedly incurred by Choi and her partner, Chris Tam, in Macau.
He also claimed to have overheard Choi asking Anthony Kwong for HK$600,000 during a telephone conversation.
Days later, Chin drove Anthony to a shopping mall to collect an envelope allegedly containing that amount.
The following day, he drove Choi to another mall, where she was carrying what he described as the same envelope.
Choi went to meet Kwong Kau but returned to the vehicle without it, he testified.
Chin also told the court that he resigned in November 2022 after Anthony asked him to take two months of unpaid leave while the family travelled.
Questioned about his conduct, Chin denied allegations of theft and abusive language, and said he had never discussed gambling with the Kwong family.
He acknowledged previous drug possession convictions in 1998 and 2024, saying he had completed a one-year probation order for the latter offence.
The trial continues.
