Jamie Chapman: Only third European charged with murder in city in nearly 60 years

_{Jamie Chapman is escorted to court. Photo: Nora Tam/SCMP}

A European charged with murder in Hong Kong is most unusual. In my 58 years here, Jamie Chapman is only the third: the others were Nancy Kissel, convicted of murdering her husband, and Rurik Jutting, who sadistically slashed two Indonesian girls a week apart. Both were jailed for life.

_{American expatriate Nancy Ann Kissel was convicted of the murder of her husband, Robert Peter Kissel, in their apartment in Hong Kong on 2 November 2003}

Jamie Tzewee Chapman, 34, is now remanded in custody and due to appear in court again on 24 January. This time allows the police to carry out their investigation.

Chapman, who’s from London, arrived in Hong Kong in 2011. In recent years he has operated a coffee and ice cream shop called GIvres near the Central Police station now redeveloped as Tai Kwan.

_{Rurik Jutting, a British investment banker, was convicted of brutally killing two Indonesian women in Hong Kong in 2014. He was jailed for life in November 2016.}

Mevi Novitasari, 25, the unfortunate Indonesian, is said to have had an affair with Chapman, who is married. He took her to a waterfall beauty spot in Aberdeen, reportedly to try to talk her into ending their affair. Mevi, who suffered severe injuries, fell, jumped or was pushed off the waterfall. Her body was found at the bottom of the waterfall by residents.

Chapman and his wife fled to the mainland, allegedly to evade police. They were arrested on their return, the wife being charged with aiding an offender. She was later released.

Superintendent Sin Kwok-ming said the case was being treated as murder due to the suspect’s actions. Chapman had done “many unreasonable things”, including failing to contact authorities after the incident.