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Hello-Kitty killer jailed again after groping girl
A man who spent 11 years in prison for his role in the Hello-Kitty murder 23 years ago was jailed once more by a West Kowloon magistrate yesterday for grabbing a 10-year-old girl's breasts at his home last year.
Leung Shing-cho, 48, was convicted on one count of indecent assault after being charged in December.
Magistrate Jeffrey Sze Cho-yiu sentenced Leung to a one-year term for groping the breasts of his friend's daughter while "giving her a massage."
Sze said Leung's act had clearly gone beyond the limits of what might normally be considered a massage.
"Anyone in their right mind would agree that this was an act of indecency," he said.
Sze added that although the case does not involve violence, bribery or intimidation, Leung is 38 years older than the girl.
As such, he said, Leung had taken advantage of the girl's trust and youth.
He proceeded to lay out the criteria for the sentencing, explaining that he had to consider the extent to which the case would arouse public anger.
"The defendant's manslaughter offense and this case are dissimilar in nature so it won't be considered an aggravating circumstance but the defendant also shouldn't expect the court to be lenient," Sze said.
Leung's lawyer had earlier argued that the girl "did not react appropriately" as she stayed put and continued eating after the incident, noting she did not remember the specific details of the massage.
However, Sze dismissed this reasoning, adding that other details raised by the defense - such as whether the door was closed or if the girl had previously visited Leung's home - were irrelevant.
The girl should not be expected to respond to such an act like a teenager or an adult, Sze said, noting she might have been unable to identify acts of indecent assault. During the girl's testimony, she said she told Leung to stop after the assault, adding she informed her younger sister of the incident when she returned home.
Leung was one of three defendants in the infamous Hello-Kitty murder that took place in the spring of 1999. The three were charged for kidnapping and torturing a woman - acts that ultimately led to her death.
The case garnered widespread media attention due to its gruesome details. In particular, the victim's body had been dismembered, with her head placed inside a Hello Kitty doll.
Leung was convicted of manslaughter, false imprisonment and preventing the lawful burial of a body. Although he was originally sentenced to life imprisonment, he won his appeal and was released in 2011 after serving 11 years.
Magistrate Jeffrey Sze Cho-yiu sentenced Leung to a one-year term for groping the breasts of his friend's daughter while "giving her a massage."
Sze said Leung's act had clearly gone beyond the limits of what might normally be considered a massage.
"Anyone in their right mind would agree that this was an act of indecency," he said.
Sze added that although the case does not involve violence, bribery or intimidation, Leung is 38 years older than the girl.
As such, he said, Leung had taken advantage of the girl's trust and youth.
He proceeded to lay out the criteria for the sentencing, explaining that he had to consider the extent to which the case would arouse public anger.
"The defendant's manslaughter offense and this case are dissimilar in nature so it won't be considered an aggravating circumstance but the defendant also shouldn't expect the court to be lenient," Sze said.
Leung's lawyer had earlier argued that the girl "did not react appropriately" as she stayed put and continued eating after the incident, noting she did not remember the specific details of the massage.
However, Sze dismissed this reasoning, adding that other details raised by the defense - such as whether the door was closed or if the girl had previously visited Leung's home - were irrelevant.
The girl should not be expected to respond to such an act like a teenager or an adult, Sze said, noting she might have been unable to identify acts of indecent assault. During the girl's testimony, she said she told Leung to stop after the assault, adding she informed her younger sister of the incident when she returned home.
Leung was one of three defendants in the infamous Hello-Kitty murder that took place in the spring of 1999. The three were charged for kidnapping and torturing a woman - acts that ultimately led to her death.
The case garnered widespread media attention due to its gruesome details. In particular, the victim's body had been dismembered, with her head placed inside a Hello Kitty doll.
Leung was convicted of manslaughter, false imprisonment and preventing the lawful burial of a body. Although he was originally sentenced to life imprisonment, he won his appeal and was released in 2011 after serving 11 years.
