A Hong Kong man allegedly hacked his elderly mother to death on the weekend before attempting to commit suicide by jumping out of their flat, according to reports, which noted the suspect had previously complained about the strain of his role as a caregiver.
Police say the mother, 78, was discovered on Sunday with a “number of chop wounds” and her head almost completely severed, according to RTHK.
Officers had arrived at the scene after residents reported a man lying outside the apartment complex in Kwai Chung.
The man, the 34-year-old son of the deceased woman and a former social worker, had jumped from the building and was still conscious when police arrived, the SCMP reported.
Police went to his apartment in an effort to find his family members and broke down the door when no one answered, Kwai Tsing District’s assistant commander of crime, Kok Wai-shing told the newspaper.
“There was a woman lying on the bed with wounds on her neck that were caused by a sharp object,” Kok said.
“She sustained severe injuries to her neck. Her head was almost cut off.”
A district councillor, Rayman Chow from the Neighbourhood & Worker’s Service Centre, said the man had resigned as a social worker several years ago to care for his mother, according to RTHK.
Chow said he had spoken to the man half a year ago when he approached a street booth for elderly care services and said he was under pressure from the strain of caring for his wheelchair-bound mother.
Chow also added the woman had recently been in and out of hospital.
Two domestic helpers helping taking care of the woman were on holiday at the time of the incident, police said, according to RTHK.
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