At a hearing yesterday, District Court Judge Yau Tak-hong made no secret how he felt about the alleged conduct of unemployed chef Chung Kei-yuen.
The defendant, 25, faces up to 10 years in prison for allegedly repeatedly beating and shaking his newborn daughter in December 2016, Ming Pao reports.
The child, barely 1-month old at the time, was taken to hospital unconscious and later fell into a coma.
The doctor called the police after diagnosing the baby with a brain hemorrhage and severe cerebral hypoxia.
She now cannot breath or eat on her own and is reliant on life support. Though stable, doctors do not believe the child will recover and will remain in a vegetative state as she grows.
“As a judge, I have not seen a more serious case of child abuse,” said the judge, who was initially left speechless after hearing the child’s condition and had to take a five-minute break to compose himself, according to Apple Daily.
Chung faces three counts of assaulting a child in his care and one charge of criminal intimidation for allegedly threatening the child’s mother.
In response to questions from Yau, prosecutors said they would consider elevating the charge to manslaughter if the baby died.
Yau asked the prosecutors to consider taking the case to a higher court, where the maximum prison sentence for the offences Chung faces would be increased from seven to 10 years.
The judge also had a quick retort when Chung, late in the proceedings, said he wanted to change his legal team because inmates he met in Stanley Prison, where he is currently held, could put him in touch with a good lawyer.
“If those lawyers were that good, they wouldn’t always end up in prison,” he said, before explaining to the defendant that he could represent himself but might not be eligible for legal aid if he chose to do so.
The case was adjourned until January 23.
