Court hears man entrusted to keep two guns and bullets that were ‘legal props’
A 24-year-old man caught in possession of two handguns, three silencers, and 899 rounds of bullets at his Whampoa home five years ago was entrusted with keeping those items and was told the items were props only, the High Court heard on Tuesday.
The defendant Leung Chung-yan was charged with possessing ammunition and firearms without a license for keeping the guns and bullets in Whampoa Garden on December 31, 2018.
The case was mentioned before Deputy Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong, and a jury comprised of five women and two men.
In the opening statement, the prosecution said Leung was first intercepted and arrested by two officers in Hung Hom that morning. Under police caution, Leung said: “Sir, I bought all my guns from a war game shop, and they have been kept in my home all this time. How did I break the law?”
The first time police raided Leung’s home, they found air guns and 100 rounds of live ammunition. The next day, police further seized two handguns, three silencers, and 799 rounds of live ammunition.
As police cautioned Leung for the second time, he said: “These guns, bullets, and parts were given to me by a person named Terrence via a middleman named Ko.”
Leung added he had met Terrence only twice, and they didn’t leave behind any contact.
Leung further told police that he retrieved these items in Sha Tin between November and December 2018 and was entrusted with keeping them by Terrence, who claimed it was legal. He continued that the guns and bullets were placed under his desk at home, and he had never lifted a finger to move them.
Leung recalled he became acquainted with Ko in late 2017, and they met less than 20 times. They contacted on messaging app Wire, and Ko didn’t specifically tell Leung what to do with the guns and bullets.
Ko told Leung the guns and bullets were electronic gun parts and legal props, and the bullets were mainly used for “decoration.” Ko also told Leung: “It would be fine.”