Mentally ill son who killed mother detained indefinitely at psychiatric hospital
Hong Kong court says sentence for Wong Chun-kit, who killed mother amid delusion she was ‘monster lizard’, is ‘most appropriate’ for public safety and his welfare
A mentally ill Hongkonger has been sentenced to an indefinite period at a psychiatric hospital for killing his mother and hiding her body under a bed believing she was a “monster lizard”.
The High Court on Monday accepted recommendations from two psychiatrists and imposed a hospital order on Wong Chun-kit on one count of manslaughter based on diminished responsibility and another count of preventing the lawful burial of a body.
Mr Justice Wilson Chan Ka-shun said the case was a “tragic one” and the defendant’s mental state was “substantially impaired”, leaving him unable to distinguish right from wrong.
He cited the psychiatric reports, both of which indicated the defendant lacked awareness of his own mental health condition and was unsuitable for outpatient treatment, leading to the recommendation for indefinite detention in a psychiatric facility.
Chan ordered Wong, 28, to receive treatment at the Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre in Tuen Mun until he was deemed no longer a danger to society, rejecting defence barrister David Boyton’s plea for a seven-year jail term.
Wong had pleaded guilty to manslaughter last month on grounds of diminished responsibility, after prosecutors acknowledged he had suffered a relapse of schizoaffective disorder which substantially reduced his culpability in what was originally classified as murder.
Chan said the sentence was the “most appropriate” decision both for public protection and Wong’s welfare.