Abby Choi's trial: officer recounts grisly scene at Lung Mei flat

The hearing on Abby Choi's murder case continued at the High Court.

Testifying today included a police officer who found Choi's remains at the Lung Mei Village unit, and a salesperson who sold a hammer to the suspect.

The three defendants -- Abby Choi's ex-husband Alex Kwong, his father Kwong Kau and brother Anthony Kwong, were charged with murder and preventing the lawful burial of a body.

Day 24 of the trial.

An ex-salesperson at a hardware store in Kowloon City told the court that on February 15, 2023 at around 9 am, Alex Kwong visited the shop and bought a hammer weighing one pound and three rolls of tape.

These items were later found at the crime scene in the Lung Mei Village flat.

Surveillance footage from the store played in court shows Kwong -- donning a white mask, spoke with the salesperson and Kwong made several hand gestures, including circular and striking motions as he took the duct tape -- and was later handed a ball-peen hammer by the salesperson.

Jurors then put on plastic gloves to feel the weight of the hammer and examine the tools.

The salesperson said the hammer is generally used for hammering nails but could also be used to bend metal objects if enough force was applied.

Also testifying was evidence-gathering police officer Chan Wai-hung who detailed in court the grisly scene he saw at the Lung Mei Village flat.

He said police had to use forced-entry tools to gain access to the unit whose gate was doubled locked.

He recalled the windows were sealed with curtains drawn and a room was covered with blue tarpaulin.

There's also an electric saw.

He vaguely saw what appeared to be a chopping board with human tissue on top.

In the bathroom, he saw raincoats and a rectangular bucket where a small piece of human tissue floated on the water's surface.

The unit was said ot have a strong fragrance-like smell.

He saw orange-coloured liquid in two pots on the kitchen stove and after opening the fridge, he discovered two black rubbish bags each containing human leg remnants.

Given the possibility that the unit is a murder scene, Chan reported the situation to his superiors and the flat was immediately cordoned off.