Death of man who set fire in crowded MTR train ruled a suicide by coroner’s court

A man suspected of throwing a firebomb onto a packed MTR train stands on the platform with his trousers alight. Other passengers were later seen beating the flames from his legs. Photos: supplied
A man suspected of throwing a firebomb onto a packed MTR train stands on the platform with his trousers alight. Other passengers were later seen beating the flames from his legs. Photos: supplied

A coroner’s court jury today ruled that a man who set himself and parts of an MTR train on fire in 2017 committed suicide.

The five-member jury retired to consider their verdict this morning, and after 90 minutes of deliberation, unanimously ruled that Cheung Kam-fai, 61, committed suicide as a result of a mental disorder, Ming Pao reports.

Cheung had started the fire inside a packed MTR train traveling between Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui on in February of 2017. At least 18 people were injured in the incident, and Cheung admitted to starting the fire before passing out.

The jury also recommended that the Hospital Authority should implement a mechanism to enable doctors, social workers, and family members to work together to evaluate patients suffering from severe mental illnesses — or who have displayed violent tendencies — and that records should be kept for reference.

The verdict brings an end to the inquest, which began on Monday and heard testimonies from doctors, passengers, and Cheung’s wife.

Medical records showed that Cheung was first diagnosed as delusional in 2007 when he was convinced someone was going to kill his son and allegedly grabbed the boy’s neck. But psychiatrist Chung Pui-yin, giving evidence in the inquest, described Cheung as polite and cooperative, with a good handle on his condition.

However, that image clashed with testimony from Cheung’s wife, who said he was mentally unstable, and had at one point tried to kill himself and his family in a group suicide. After he was sent to a psychiatric ward for help, Cheung appeared to be on the mend until he relapsed in 2015, which culminated in Wen asking him to sign divorce papers, something he refused to do.

Cheung had struggled for years with his mental health issues and financial problems brought on by a gambling addiction.

The South China Morning Post reported that the conflicting testimonies regarding Cheung’s stability prompted the coroner to imply he may have misled his psychiatrist — “perhaps he was good at acting,” he said

HK01 reported that since his diagnosis in 2007, Cheung had visited the psychiatrist every three to four months, and also needed monthly or bi-monthly appointments for injections to treat his delusions.

The psychiatrist said that just before the incident, he had called Cheung three times after he missed his scheduled appointment, but received no response.

The coroner also praised witnesses who stepped in to help those who were injured in the fire, and added that he hoped the Hospital Authority would accept the jury’s recommendations.

Cheung himself died of cardiac arrest at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin some two months after setting the fire. He had been admitted with acute kidney failure, smoke inhalation, and second- and third-degree burns on at least 30 percent of his body.



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