HKU Professor Found Guilty Of Murdering His Wife

University of Hong Kong professor Cheung Kie-chung has been found guilty of murdering his wife two years ago.

On Thursday evening, a seven-member High Court jury convicted him of the murder of Chan Man-wai in August 2018.

The jury returned a verdict of five to two after eight hours of deliberation.

He will be sentenced next Thursday.

The 56-year-old was arrested when his wife's body was found inside a suitcase – hidden in a sealed wooden box – in his office.

She was strangled in the bedroom of their home before her body was taken to the office.

Cheung had pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter.

He previously told the High Court that he could not recall what happened from the moment he wrapped electrical wires around her neck to her losing consciousness.

The prosecution suggested that Cheung did remember, saying he intended to kill his wife and that she did not put up much resistance because she was sleeping.

While he admitted to strangling his wife with a power cord, his lawyers said he was suffering an “abnormality of the mind” after being provoked by his wife.

He had offered to plead guilty to manslaughter, but the prosecution rejected this and insisted he be tried on the murder charge.

The court heard the testimony of witnesses including Cheung’s son and daughter, Chan's sister, as well as expert evidence over Cheung’s mental state.

Cheung has also pleaded guilty to preventing a lawful burial by concealing his wife's body in a box.

While a murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence, the defence still plans to proceed with mitigation, so sentencing has been pushed back for a week.