Khaw Kim Sun, a former academic at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2017. -- Photo: Dickson Lee / SCMP
HONG KONG: A former university professor in Hong Kong accused of murdering his family with a yoga ball filled with lethal gas has been found guilty of killing his wife and daughter, after failing to clear his name in a retrial.
After less than four hours of deliberation, a High Court jury on Tuesday unanimously found Malaysian anaesthesiologist Khaw Kim Sun guilty of causing the deaths of his wife, Wong Siew Fing, 47, and their second child, Lily Khaw Li Ling, 16.
The two died of carbon monoxide poisoning after a leaky inflatable yoga ball filled with a lethal amount of the gas was placed in the boot of Khaw’s Mini Cooper car.
Khaw, 60, was convicted of two counts of murder in the 2018 trial, but fought to clear his name while serving a life sentence by lodging an appeal.
In 2023, the Court of Final Appeal quashed his conviction after ruling that the trial judge had misdirected the jury. The case was sent back to the High Court for retrial, which began in November last year.
Khaw decided to represent himself the second time around, firing his legal representatives shortly after the start of the retrial.
He also took the witness box to tell the seven-member jury that he had bought carbon monoxide for an experiment in his lab, in which oxygen was used to resuscitate rabbits poisoned with the lethal gas.
This grim case, which has captivated public attention due to its unusual circumstances, revolves around the use of the gas-filled yoga ball allegedly employed as a murder weapon.
The tragic events date back to 22nd May, 2015, when Khaw’s wife, Wong Siew Fing, 47, and their 16-year-old daughter, Lily, were discovered dead inside their Mini Cooper, having succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigations revealed that a yoga ball, filled with the lethal gas and placed in the car’s boot, was the source of the poisoning.
Initially convicted of two counts of murder in 2018, Khaw’s case took a dramatic turn in 2023 when the Court of Final Appeal ruled that the original trial judge had misdirected the jury, leading to a retrial.
Prosecutors alleged that Khaw had meticulously planned what he believed to be a perfect crime, using his medical research as a guise to procure carbon monoxide.
During the retrial, the prosecution highlighted Khaw’s apparent premeditation, noting that he had conducted research related to carbon monoxide and had instructed his assistants to acquire the gas.
Just days before the incident, he had filled two yoga balls with carbon monoxide, ostensibly for testing purposes, but ultimately took them home, claiming he intended to use the gas for pest control.
In his defence, Khaw maintained that he had not placed the toxic ball in the vehicle and argued that the prosecution’s case relied solely on circumstantial evidence, which he deemed insufficient for a conviction. He suggested that the deaths of his wife and daughter may have been accidental rather than intentional.
The courtroom was tense as High Court Deputy Judge Brian Keith reminded the jury of their duty to disregard the original trial’s content and approach the case with fresh eyes.
The evidence brought forth, along with Khaw’s complicated personal situation—including an extramarital affair and a troubled marriage—added further complexity to the proceedings. - Agencies
