A Hong Kong man, Ng Ka-shing, claimed he was helping his girlfriend, who weighed over 180kg (approx. 400lbs), to 'lose weight.' He used a stick to beat her and prevented her from sleeping, which led to her death. The judge pointed out that the defendant's intelligence was only marginally adequate and, considering his remorse, sentenced him to 3 years and 9 months in prison.
Ng Ka-shing also wrapped his girlfriend with a quilt, tape, and plastic wrap, causing her to suffocate to death. Afterwards, he transported her body using a trolley.
Recently, the case was sentenced in the Hong Kong SAR High Court. Ng Ka-shing was found guilty of manslaughter and preventing the lawful burial of a body, and was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months in prison.
The murder took place at the end of April 2022 when Ng Ka-shing, then 25, was following the instructions of his 'godsister' and 'godbother-in-law' to implement a 'hellish weight-loss plan' on his girlfriend, who weighed over 180kg. He beat her and prevented her from sleeping in an attempt to achieve so-called 'weight loss.'
One morning, Ng discovered his girlfriend had no vital signs. He tried to resuscitate her, but failed. He initially intended to bury the body on a mountain, but abandoned the plan due to the body’s weight and inability to find a deep enough pit. Later, Ng used a trolley to move the body, but her feet were exposed and discovered by passersby and local cleaners at the scene, leading to his arrest.
The autopsy report showed the deceased had multiple injuries to her head and body, blunt-force trauma marks on the top of her head, large-scale bleeding at the back of her brain, and her body showed signs of corrosion from a caustic liquid.
Ng Ka-shing denied murder but admitted to preventing the lawful burial of a body. The jury, by a vote of 5 to 2, found him not guilty of murder, but unanimously convicted him of manslaughter.
At sentencing, Hong Kong SAR High Court Judge Cheung Wai-ling cited a psychological expert report from the Correctional Services Department, which stated that the defendant's intelligence was barely adequate, had poor problem-solving abilities, difficulty asserting his own views, was easily influenced and tended to avoid problems, but did not have an antisocial personality and had a low risk of reoffending.
Ng Ka-shing graduated from Form 3, had no prior criminal record, and had worked as a warehouse clerk and construction worker. He was arrested and remanded in custody on April 29, 2022, and has been in custody since.