Hospital Escape Fugitive Has Prison Term Cut

A mainland businessman who escaped police custody by climbing through the roof of a toilet at Queen Mary Hospital has had his jail term reduced from 18 months to 12 by the High Court.

The move was ordered on humanitarian grounds after Leon Li said he needed to get back to his quadruplet children. Li said his parents are struggling to look after the children and one of the four has a chronic illness.

Li's disappearing act last November came after he was arrested following three years on the run over a fake ID card.

He was caught for a second time just a few days later, at a hotel in Wan Chai.

Cambridge-educated Li was jailed by a magistrates' court in January over the forgery, refusing to surrender to custody, escaping custody, and resisting a police officer.