From Abby Choi to the ‘Hello Kitty’ killing: Hong Kong’s most shocking crimes

The alleged murder and dismemberment of Abby Choi Tin-fung in 2023, which prosecutors say was linked to a dispute over a luxury flat, has once again gripped Hong Kong as the trial over the 28-year-old socialite’s death entered its second week.

Choi’s ex-husband, Alex Kwong Kong-chi, 31, and his elder brother, Anthony Kwong Kong-kit, 35, have pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of her body. Their father, Kwong Kau, 68, has pleaded not guilty to the same charge. All three men deny murdering Choi.

While Hong Kong has a reputation as one of the world’s safest cities, it has seen its share of sensational and gruesome crimes.

1. Plaza Hollywood stabbings (2023)

Just months after Choi’s alleged murder, two women were stabbed to death in a frenzied knife attack at the Plaza Hollywood shopping centre in Diamond Hill by a man suffering from severe mental illness.

The unprovoked attack, captured on CCTV, spread widely online and heightened safety concerns at a time when the city was still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.