Trial begins at High Court for three defendants who pleaded not guilty to murder after victim found encased in cement in Tsuen Wan in 2016.

The trial, which was into its 27th day, will have to begin from scratch at later date with new jury.

Former Hong Kong leader was on body-in-cement murder gang’s fantasy hit list court hears as Tsang Cheung-yan continues his testimony and more details emerge.

Tsang Cheung-yan, one of three defendants, testifies the group that placed a bounty on victim Cheung Man-li was a joke that ‘no one thought was true’.

In taped interview played at court, Cheung Sin-hang says co-accused manipulated him into cutting ties with his mother, borrowing hundreds of thousands of dollars and eventually murder.

From police interview with third defendant, High Court hears about botched attempts to rob victim with spiked drink and a public toilet ambush, as he allegedly knew too much about crime ring and had to be “deleted”.

Keith Lau, accused in the murder of Cheung Man-li, told Hong Kong police he had a bad feeling after being separated from his co-defendants after arrest.

Taiwan thought to be best option for escape as mainland China was ruled out over visa issues

Keith Lau, one of three suspects, says in police interview that co-accused Tsang Cheung-yan is the group’s ‘boss’ and the one behind robbery plans.

But Tsang Cheung-yan’s attempt to get co-accused to surrender did not come until after he agreed to help dispose of corpse ‘any way they wanted’.  

Three defendants also considered throwing Cheung Man-li, 28, into the sea or burying body in woods but finally settled on encasing him in a block of cement. 

Traces of potentially fatal chemical found in liver of victim Cheung Man-li during autopsy, pathologist tells court

Witness recalls nonchalance of admission while friend of another co-defendant tells court of doing ‘something very wrong’.

Ho Ling-yu, 20, was granted immunity from prosecution but under grilling from defence lawyer admits she too discussed murdering Cheung Man-li.

Defence counsel Keith Oderberg says Ho Ling-yu first accused one of the three defendants of preparing chloroform-soaked panties used in the alleged murder but later pointed the finger at his client.

Ho Ling-yu was told by one defendant that another flatmate was planning to ‘sell her off’ – murder her – in Taiwan.

Young woman says one of the defendants told her about killing, but he said it so jokingly she did not know if he was serious

But witness Ho Ling-yu on the second day of the murder trial said she thought they were joking even when one of the men asked her where they should dump the body

Suspects pointed the finger at each other as police tried to uncover truth behind brutal killing in Tsuen Wan flat

Money row believed to be at heart of gruesome killing which saw victim’s body cut up into pieces