Triad gang member ordered rival's attack from Shenzhen, court hears

A triad "big brother" allegedly instructed - from across the border - a group of followers to attack another "big brother" in broad daylight, the Court of First Instance heard yesterday.

Lau Long-kin, 29, denied one count of murder over the slaying of Tse Chi-shing, 30, outside North District Hospital on April 28 last year.

Prosecutor John Dunn said both men appeared to be triad gang members in leadership positions, but reminded the jury that this did not necessarily mean Lau was a murderer. He exhorted the jury to carefully consider the evidence presented in court.

The court heard that Tse was attacked shortly after 1pm by two masked men after receiving treatment for gout. He was certified dead at 2.30pm.

"The important point in this case is that it is not alleged that [Lau] was one of the two men who attacked Tse Chi-shing," Dunn said. "In fact, [Lau] was nowhere near the scene of the crime in Fanling. He was in Shenzhen, just over the border."

Prosecution evidence showed that at 1.14pm, about the time Tse was attacked, Lau was returning to Hong Kong through the Lo Wu border checkpoint.

But a large number of phone calls pointed to Lau's involvement in the attack, Dunn said.