A 38-year-old fitness coach accused of assaulting, blackmailing and falsely imprisoning his then-girlfriend in incidents between 2011 and 2013 was cleared of all charges at the District Court in Wan Chai yesterday.
The man, surnamed Cheng, was in a relationship with a 31-year-old woman, who accused him of slapping, kicking and detaining her in the home they shared, and blackmailing her by threatening to share nude photos of her online. She filed a police report in 2014, according to Oriental Daily.
Cheng was charged with, and eventually cleared of, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, four counts of acts of intimidation and one count of false imprisonment.
In court, Judge Josiah Lam said the woman and her mother, who gave evidence on behalf of her daughter, were “untrustworthy” witnesses.
He pointed out inconsistencies in the alleged victim’s statements, such as when she said the explicit photographs were taken. A doctor also claimed the woman’s injuries were too mild for the level of violence she alleged.
The judge added that he found it hard to believe the woman was not motivated by the news of Cheng’s impending marriage. She filed the charges two months before his wedding but claimed she knew nothing about the nuptials until after the court case began.
On leaving court yesterday, Cheng told reporters, “Guys in Hong Kong should be careful with the girls they meet.”
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