Man Planned Taxi Driver's Stabbing, Prosecution Says at Murder Trial

A murder trial has begun for a 36-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a taxi driver in 2021. The prosecution told the High Court that the accused, Matthew Choi, had planned the attack in advance, rejecting Choi's claims to police that his mind was being "controlled" and that he was being targeted by the government.

Choi was arrested on Lamma Island in October 2021 after a two-day manhunt following the stabbing of the driver, Wai Kim-hung, in Sai Ying Pun. Senior public prosecutor Human Lam stated that Choi hailed a taxi near WE Hotel in the early morning hours, got in, and stabbed the driver. Wai was later certified dead at Queen Mary Hospital.

Lam presented evidence that Choi had checked into a hotel, carried a knife and a towel, and cleaned himself after the incident, suggesting premeditation. The prosecution does not accept Choi's defense that his mind was controlled, asserting he knew his actions clearly.

The victim, Wai Kim-hung, was a 48-year-old night-shift taxi driver and the primary breadwinner for his family of five. His wife testified about their marriage since 2002 and his work as a taxi driver since 2009. Colleagues described him as punctual and friendly. The trial also heard testimony from witnesses who heard Wai cry for help and saw him approach another taxi driver for assistance, bleeding and asking for the police to be called.

Following the incident, over HK$500,000 was raised for Wai's family. Murder convictions in Hong Kong carry a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.

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