Heated argument: the time a Hong Kong barbecue turned deadly, as midnight picnickers fought with forks

“A weekend outing in Stanley yesterday turned into a death brawl as two groups of ‘midnight picnickers’ fought with barbecue forks over a barbecue pit resulting in one dead and two injured,” reported the South China Morning Post on August 30, 1982. “The two groups, totalling about 20 people, argued over a pit shortly after 1am at the pier near the Hong Kong Sea School.

“Heated words were exchanged and the fight started when one group made abusive remarks at some of the women in the other group. They tore at each other with barbecue forks. Lo Chi-kwong (18) was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital but died before arrival. Two others, Ng Kwok-leung (20) and Lam Chi-keung (20), were discharged after treatment.

“The case had been classified as homicide. Eight people, including two women, are assisting the inquiry. Police yesterday urged two other groups of people barbecuing nearby who might have witnessed the brawl to come forward to assist in the investigation.”

On September 1, 1983, the Post reported that “an 18-year-old youth who was involved in an affray at Stanley Beach last year, which resulted in the death of another youth, was yesterday sentenced by Mr Richard Davies at Western Court to four months’ imprisonment. Leung Pui-keung had pleaded guilty two weeks ago and had been remanded in jail custody for two weeks for a probation officer’s report.

“Mr Davies noted that Leung was not suitable for a period of supervision and because the offence was of a very serious nature, he had no alternative but to send him to jail.

“Leung had been in hiding for nearly a year after the incident and Mr Davies was told that up to March he had been working as a shampoo boy on Cheung Chau.”