South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, 5 April 1951

Amah Tied Up And Threatened At Point Of Knife

Six Years For Robber

Kowloon Flat Ransacked

Click to enlarge

Six years' hard labour and 12 strokes of the cane was the sentence passed by Mr Justice Gould at the Criminal Sessions yesterday on Lam Ting-por for robbery with aggravation. The Jury of five men and two women deliberated for five minutes before returning a verdict of guilty. It was alleged he stole a wrist-watch, a Parker pen and HK$240.

Mr J. Reynolds, Crown Counsel, assisted by Det-Sub-Inspector March, prosecuted.

Crown Counsel said the amah, Kwan Kamsing, was employed at 3, Cameron Road, ground floor, Kowloon. On the afternoon of January 23, during the absence of her mistress, a strange Chinese entered by the back door and pointed a knife at the amah. The man, alleged to be the accused, was joined by another person and, in fear of her life, the woman handed over four $10 notes to them.

The men, said Mr Reynolds, then tied her up and asked her where her mistress kept her valuables and her keys. She replied she did not know. The men then threatened her by pointing the knife at her chest, where they also struck a few blows.

The intruders looked in a handbag and found keys with which they opened various drawers and the amah saw one of the men take a black purse and from it extract red coloured banknotes. After ransacking the flat the men left.

Shortly after the mistress and her friend returned and found the amah tied up. The mistress also discovered that a gold wrist watch, a Parker pen and about $240 were missing.

The watch was pawned at a pawnshop in Shanghai Street.

The accused was arrested at 2 a.m. on January 27 in an unnumbered hut on the hillside in Hunghom. At an identification parade the amah picked out the accused as the man who had pointed the knife at her.

In his defence, defendant said he was very surprised that the amah had identified him as he was not at 3 Cameron Road. The watch was given to him by someone who owed him money. He pawned the watch and considered the old account settled.