At first it appeared the strong-jawed professor with the big head, accused of murdering his wife and daughter, would sit inscrutably watching his trial from the dock. Then a forensic pathologist began explaining what carbon monoxide does to the human body. He described the postmortem on the 16-year-old girl Khaw Kim-sun is alleged to have killed. Li-ling was his daughter. Khaw bowed his head, his face crumpled and he started crying. Judge Judianna Barnes, red-robed and bewigged, told the jury to leave for lunch. The morning session of Day 2 of Sai Kung’s murder trial was only 50 minutes old.
On the first day of the trial Prosecutor Andrew Bruce, short, stout, leaning on his desk, told the court Khaw had meant to kill his wife Wong Siew-fing, 47, but had not expected his daughter to be in the car too. He had murdered Li-ling accidentally. Khaw had put an inflatable yoga ball pumped full of carbon monoxide in the boot of his wife’s yellow Mini-Cooper, the prosecutor said. It was found at a bus stop near Sai O village on Sai Sha Road on 22 May 2015. Two female bodies were slumped in it.
Khaw, 53, is a Malaysian national who practiced anaesthesiology at Shatin’s Prince of Wales Hospital and taught at Chinese University. Prosecutor Bruce said Khaw had been having an affair with a student for some time. His wife knew about the relationship, had accepted it but refused to agree to a divorce.
The accused murderer appeared in court yesterday (23 August) wearing a blue windbreaker, light blue shirt and dark blue tie. Black hair hung over his face as he studied legal papers and watched the trial proceedings from behind eight feet high bars and glass. He was guarded by two green-uniformed prison officers, one of whom leant back against the wall and appeared to doze. Khaw saw BUZZ’s representative was studying him intently and stared back, his face impassive. He looks strong and healthy and shows no sign of concern or remorse, except for the above breakdown.
The jury of five men and four women was notable for youth and casual dress. Just one young women in a black jacket with a spidery design and an ivory hair piece looked as if she had taken care over her appearance. The young jurors diligently followed the proceedings, some of them taking notes.
Judge Judianna, in her 50s or 60s, has an authoritative air, very much in control of the courtroom, insisting witnesses make themselves clear. She asked Dr Foo, the slim, black-suited pathologist, to explain the effects of carbon monoxide on the body. Did it attach itself to the red blood cells whose job it is to carry oxygen around the body thus preventing the red cells from doing their work. Dr Foo confirmed this. Later the court was told Khaw’s wife had 50% carbon monoxide in her blood stream — 10% more than the lethal level — while Li-ling had 40%.
The lawyers were all black-robed with barristers’ white neck bands and curled wigs. The one lady counsel either has a new wig or cares for it well. The men looked like they hadn’t had their wigs cleaned this century. The tall senior defence counsel has a Hitlerite fringe which he adjusts frequently in reflective glass.
The trial, expected to last about 20 days, continues.
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