A 15-year-old student and a 23-year-old man pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage over vandalizing the grave of late lead singer Wong Ka-kui from the local rock band Beyond with a hammer and coke.
The defendants - an underage male student and an air-conditioning technician Yip Tsz-to, were accused of defacing Wong’s tombstone in Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery on May 19.
The duo appeared at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Court for a mention on Tuesday.
The prosecution said the male student confessed to committing the crime in an attempt to gain publicity. The defense said the 15-year-old was unpopular in school and suffered from ADHD, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
While he has no hatred for Wong, his attention seeking for hitrates became more aggressive after meeting online influencers and learning how to make films two years ago.
The defense also noted that the other defendant, Yip, was not the mastermind behind the case. However, the Judge stated that Yip’s failure to stop the defacing acts meant his guilt was similar to that of the 15-year-old defendant.
Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak asked for psychological and psychiatric reports for the male student and set sentencing for the duo for July 16.
An online video shows a shaven-headed man approaching Wong’s tombstone and splashing it with soft drinks, along with kicking it, kissing and licking the portrait and guitar engravings, and biting the petals off flowers that fans had placed there and then stomping on them.
He is also seen pouring soft drinks on himself while singing, writing and drawing random patterns with a black marker on Wong’s photo and guitar.
He later picks up a hammer and slams Wong’s photo along with using foul language to insult Wong.
According to the case, staff at the cemetery intercepted the two defendants on the spot before reporting the crime after discovering Wong Ka-kui’s grave had been vandalized on May 19. Law enforcement officers found multiple online videos showing the 15-year-old defendant pouring coke on the grave, biting the flowers, and destroying Wong’s photos with a hammer.
After a warning from police, the younger defendant said he committed the crime because he wanted to be famous, while Yip admitted to filming the scene.
