Professor back in Hong Kong court for retrial in yoga ball murder case
In a rare move, judge reveals to jury that former anaesthesiologist Khaw Kim Sun was earlier convicted of murder but decision was overturned on appeal
A former university professor is back in court for a retrial for allegedly murdering his wife and daughter with a gas-filled yoga ball in Hong Kong nine years ago, with the judge warning jurors to avoid reading “inflammatory” social media comments previously made about the defendant.
A seven-member jury was empanelled at the High Court on Wednesday for the retrial of Malaysian Khaw Kim Sun, who allegedly released a lethal amount of carbon monoxide from a yoga ball inside a yellow Mini Cooper, killing his wife Wong Siew Fing, 47, and their second child Lily Khaw Li Ling, 16, on May 22, 2015.
In a rare move during his introductory remarks, Deputy Judge Brian Keith revealed to the jury of four men and three women that former anaesthesiologist Khaw was earlier convicted of murder but the decision was overturned upon appeal on the grounds he did not receive a fair trial.
“I mentioned all these to you because some of you may have realised that you have heard about this case before, and I didn’t want you to be tempted to go online to check that this was indeed the case,” Keith said.
In a criminal retrial, jurors are often not told about a previous trial before a verdict is reached to avoid prejudice to the accused.
The judge stressed the proceedings against Khaw would start “completely afresh with a blank sheet” and the fact he was previously convicted was “completely irrelevant”.
Keith also urged the jury to shun social media posts commenting on the case, which were “often written in inflammatory language and almost invariably by people who actually knew nothing about the case”.
