Hong Kong man jailed 3 years for hammer attack on associate who later died

A Hong Kong man with a triad background has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison for attacking an associate with a hammer, causing his death hours later. The court heard that Mo Tai-fung, 42, initially faced a murder charge after allegedly striking the 33-year-old victim, surnamed Pang, 11 times on the head outside a building in Yau Ma Tei early on July 28, 2024.

Prosecutors later amended the charge, as an autopsy revealed that while Pang had deep lacerations to his scalp, his injuries were not fatal and he had died from drug overdose. Mo confirmed his guilty pleas to wounding with intent and inhaling a dangerous drug. The court heard that Mo had a history of violent offenses, with 18 prior convictions, including multiple violent crimes.

He had served a three-year prison sentence for a previous wounding conviction just a year prior. Judge Lai noted that Mo had an "appalling criminal record" and that the provocation did not justify the severity of his attack. She set the starting point for the wounding charge at four years and six months, applying a one-third discount for Mo's guilty plea. She also imposed an additional two-month sentence for the drug offence to be served consecutively.