Hong Kong man takes cover in wardrobe to escape 5 assailants in money dispute
- Man, 24, is treated for injuries to the head and legs in Lantau Island attack, and suspects arrested for alleged assault
A Hong Kong man took cover in a wardrobe in a village house to escape an assault by five assailants, then called police to arrest the suspects on an outlying island early on Thursday.
A police source said the 24-year-old victim and his 18-year-old girlfriend were in the village house at the Sheung Ling Pei area of Tung Chung on Lantau Island when the five attackers rushed into the premises at about 12.30am.
“The attackers locked the door to prevent the pair from leaving before punching and kicking the victim,” said the insider. “The victim then hid in the wardrobe and called police.”
Officers rushed to the village and arrested the five men aged from 18 to 33 on suspicion of false imprisonment and assault.
The victim, who was unemployed, suffered injuries to the head and legs and was sent to North Lantau Hospital for treatment.
His girlfriend, a Form Six student, was unhurt, according to the source.
Police said the victim had had a dispute over money with the five suspects.
As of Thursday afternoon, the five assailants were still being held for questioning.
Detectives from the Lantau criminal investigation unit are handling the case.
Police handled 761 reports of serious assault in the first quarter of this year, up three per cent from 739 cases over the same period last year.
