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Grandfather in e-trike tragedy given suspended sentence
A 57-year-old grandfather was jailed for two months yesterday, but suspended for 18 months, for child negligence after his fivey-ear-old granddaughter was thrown off his electric tricycle and died on Cheung Chau last year.
Leung Yat-wa pleaded guilty to willful neglect when in charge of a child and for driving an unregistered vehicle without insurance when he appeared before principal magistrate Ivy Chui Yee-mei at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts.
The court heard that Leung, who used to work as a technician, was carrying his two granddaughters on his tricycle on January 16 last year.
When Leung left the tricycle to unload goods, he heard a loud bang and hurried back to the tricycle and saw one of his granddaughters – five-year-old Wong Lok-lam, collapsed on the ground with serious head injuries. She was confirmed dead after being sent to Cheung Chau Hospital.
Handing down the sentence, Chui said: “This case is no doubt a tragedy.”
“And according to the mitigation letters written by the defendant, his wife, children, neighbors and Wong’s school principal, it can be seen that the defendant has always been caring to Wong.”
Leung was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is under medical treatment according to the defense.
His daughter and son-in-law have also told the court that they do not blame him for the loss of their daughter.
Chui said the tragedy was caused by Leung’s negligence, but it has left him with great trauma and regret, adding that he is unlikely to repeat the crime.
Apart from the two months jail term and 18 months suspension, Leung was also fined HK$6,000 and suspended from driving for a year.
It was later found that the tricycle had been fitted by him with used parts that were bought on Taobao, an online shopping platform.
He assembled the parts of the tricycle and built delivery tracks outside of his house for convenience.
The defense lawyer told the court that the accident happened in less than a minute after Leung got off the vehicle, and was 16 meters away from where he had parked.
He explained that his three granddaughters, who were sent to Leung and his wife by their daughter to live together in Tai Kwai Wan San Tsuen on Cheung Chau Island, meant a lot to him. Leung promised in the mitigation letter that he would be cautious when looking after the other two granddaughters.
The court heard that Leung, who used to work as a technician, was carrying his two granddaughters on his tricycle on January 16 last year.
When Leung left the tricycle to unload goods, he heard a loud bang and hurried back to the tricycle and saw one of his granddaughters – five-year-old Wong Lok-lam, collapsed on the ground with serious head injuries. She was confirmed dead after being sent to Cheung Chau Hospital.
Handing down the sentence, Chui said: “This case is no doubt a tragedy.”
“And according to the mitigation letters written by the defendant, his wife, children, neighbors and Wong’s school principal, it can be seen that the defendant has always been caring to Wong.”
Leung was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is under medical treatment according to the defense.
His daughter and son-in-law have also told the court that they do not blame him for the loss of their daughter.
Chui said the tragedy was caused by Leung’s negligence, but it has left him with great trauma and regret, adding that he is unlikely to repeat the crime.
Apart from the two months jail term and 18 months suspension, Leung was also fined HK$6,000 and suspended from driving for a year.
It was later found that the tricycle had been fitted by him with used parts that were bought on Taobao, an online shopping platform.
He assembled the parts of the tricycle and built delivery tracks outside of his house for convenience.
The defense lawyer told the court that the accident happened in less than a minute after Leung got off the vehicle, and was 16 meters away from where he had parked.
He explained that his three granddaughters, who were sent to Leung and his wife by their daughter to live together in Tai Kwai Wan San Tsuen on Cheung Chau Island, meant a lot to him. Leung promised in the mitigation letter that he would be cautious when looking after the other two granddaughters.
