Elderly Hong Kong dementia sufferer found dead with tape covering mouth and nose, wife hospitalised after suspected murder-suicide bid
- Helper discovers man lying in bed with tape covering mouth, nose, unconscious wife on the floor next to a bloodstained knife, insider says
- Initial investigations reveal wife, 71, considered suicide two weeks ago, he adds
An 84-year-old dementia sufferer was found dead with tape covering his nose and mouth while his wife was discovered injured and unconscious in the bedroom of their upscale Hong Kong flat on Wednesday after a suspected murder-suicide attempt.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman, 71, had been considering taking her own life around two weeks earlier because she was concerned about not being able to take care of her husband, a source familiar with the case said.
The Post learned that the man suffered from dementia and muscle atrophy, had limited mobility and required care. His wife suffered from depression and emotional disorders.
Police later arrested the woman on suspicion of murdering her husband.
On Wednesday night, she was listed as in a critical condition in hospital.
Emergency personnel arrived at the Beacon Hill Road flat in Kowloon Tong at around 4.20am after police received a report from one of the couple’s domestic helpers.
The unconscious pair were discovered when the helper went to the man’s bedroom to help him change a diaper, the insider said.
“The helper discovered the man lying in bed with his mouth and nose covered with tape,” he said. “His unconscious wife was found on the floor beside a bloodstained knife near the bed.”
According to police, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
A force spokesman said the wife suffered cut wounds to her neck and hand. She was rushed to Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po and later transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital in Lai Chi Kok.
The couple were said to have lived in separate bedrooms in the high-end flat and had two domestic helpers.
An autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the man’s death, the insider said.
“After carrying out an investigation, police believe the killing occurred because of the influence of depression and emotional disorders as well as the wife’s concerns about her own inability to take care of her husband,” the source said.
Hongkonger, 80, dies in alleged murder-suicide attempt in MTR toilet, wife survives
Detectives from the Kowloon City district crime squad are treating the case as a murder-suicide attempt.
It was the city’s second such case in two months.
On January 30, an 80-year-old man died in an alleged murder-suicide attempt inside a railway station toilet, while his disabled wife with dementia survived.
Staff at Shek Mun MTR station in Sha Tin contacted police after finding the couple unconscious inside a public toilet with their heads covered by plastic bags tied with strings. A police source said the man was alleged to have put the bag on his wife’s head before doing the same to himself.
The 71-year-old woman, who uses a wheelchair, regained consciousness after emergency services personnel attended the scene.
University of Hong Kong to launch suicide prevention system that issues alerts
The pair were rushed to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin but the man was pronounced dead at 5.22pm.
Tragedies involving elderly carers have sparked public concern in recent years.
Experts earlier said the estimated 1.3 million carers were under huge stress, adding the government had offered only limited support as the city lacked carer-centred policies.
The city’s rapidly ageing population had also added to the problem, they said.
